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Top 8 Buildings in Singapore That Will Make You See the City in a Whole New Light
One time when I really needed to clear my head, I ended up taking myself on a solo architecture tour around the city. I downloaded an audio guide, plugged in my earphones, and just wandered around with no plans.
I went from one building to the next, listening to stories about their design, snapping photos, and jotting down notes in between kopi breaks. It was quiet, calming, and oddly refreshing.
Some of these places I’d walked past a hundred times without ever really looking. Others completely surprised me.
Now that I’ve collected more building facts and architectural thoughts than I know what to do with, I figured—might as well share them with you. So here are some buildings in Singapore that made me stop and look up.
1. Marina Bay Sands
Media credit: @marinabaysands
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinabaysands/
Website: https://www.marinabaysands.com/
Address: 10 Bayfront Avenue
Phone: +65 6688 8868
Hours: Daily – 11 AM to 9 PM
Marina Bay Sands is impossible to miss among the buildings lining Singapore’s downtown skyline—three towering blocks linked at the top by what looks like a ship hovering in the air.
It was designed by Moshe Safdie, who took inspiration from a deck of cards. The idea was to reflect chance and balance, with the towers placed like shuffled stacks and the SkyPark floating above like a final card being laid down.
That SkyPark is what ties everything together—it stretches across the towers, holding a rooftop infinity pool, gardens, and an observation deck with some of the best views in the city.
What I love about Marina Bay Sands is that it also offers us a luxury mall with gondola rides, a casino, world-class theaters, and the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum!
| Pro Tip: Check out the Digital Light Canvas in the basement of The Shoppes, it’s an interactive LED floor where your movements trigger light trails! |
2. Jewel Changi Airport
Media credit: @jewelchangiairport
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewelchangiairport/
Website: https://www.jewelchangiairport.com/
Address: 78 Airport Boulevard
Phone: +65 6956 9898
Hours: Daily – 10 AM to 10 PM
Looking like something out of a sci-fi movie, Jewel Changi is a massive glass dome where shopping, dining, and nature collide.
This structure, like Marina Bay Sands, was designed by Safdie Architects, and you can see that same grand vision carried through.
At the center is the Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, cascading through a circular skylight. This is where you’ll almost always see people standing around the base with their phones out to take a picture.
Wrapped around the vortex is the Shiseido Forest Valley, which is a multi-level indoor garden with misty trails and thousands of plants. It’s technically an airport extension, connecting all the Changi terminals and even includes a hotel and cinema.
You’ll also find attractions like sky nets, mazes, and interactive light shows, which make it feel more like a theme park than a mall.
| Pro Tip: Head to the first level of Jewel and look for the hidden Pokémon Center. It’s the only one outside Japan and is stocked with exclusive merch you won’t find anywhere else. |
3. Raffles Hotel
Media credit: @raffleshotelsingapore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raffleshotelsingapore/?hl=en
Website: https://www.raffles.com/singapore/?
Address: 1 Beach Road
Phone: +65 6337 1886
Hours: Open 24/7
Raffles Hotel is old-school glamour at its finest. Opened in 1887 and built in a neo-Renaissance style, it’s a colonial landmark that has hosted writers, royals, and celebrities over the years.
The exterior consists of high arches and tropical gardens to help create a serene setting. Meanwhile, on the inside, I noticed vintage elevators, wooden shutters, and quiet courtyards that seem to slow time down.
One spot that gets a lot of attention is The Long Bar. It’s where the Singapore Sling was created, and you’ll still find bartenders pouring the same pink cocktail daily.
The bar itself is a little rugged by contrast, with peanut shells scattered on the floor and rattan fans slowly turning overhead.
| Pro Tip: If you want a good view of the courtyard, go to the second-floor lobby outside the Writers bar. |
4. Esplanade
Media credit: @esplanadesingapore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esplanadesingapore/
Website: https://www.esplanade.com/
Address: 1 Esplanade Drive
Phone: +65 6828 8377
Hours: Daily – 8 AM to 11:30 PM
The Esplanade was designed by DP Architects and Michael Wilford & Partners, with thousands of aluminum sunshades covering the glass surface.
Locals affectionately call it “the durian,” and once you see the spiky, dome-shaped exterior, you’ll get the nickname immediately.
But these aren’t just made to look like Singapore’s favorite fruit, they’re actually meant to control heat and sunlight while allowing the whole interior to glow naturally.
The venue houses a 1,600-seat concert hall, a large theater, recital studios, and visual art spaces. There’s always something happening, from full-blown symphonies to experimental dance and indie film screenings, so try not to miss out!
I also have always liked how accessible the place feels. Even without a show ticket, The Esplanade draws you in with public art, open spaces, and waterfront walkways.
| Pro Tip: Check the Esplanade’s website for free performances at the Outdoor Theatre. There’s usually something happening almost every evening. |
5. Parkroyal Collection Pickering
Media credit: @parkroyalcollectionpickering
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkroyalcollectionpickering
Website: https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/
Address: 3 Upper Pickering Street
Phone: +65 6809 8888
Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday – 10:30 AM to 8 PM
- Friday and Saturday – 10:30 AM to 10 PM
This hotel is practically a garden in itself. This is because the Parkroyal Collection Pickering features lush terraces that wrap around the building like hanging cliffs.
The look is sculptural, inspired by rice paddy fields, with massive curved slabs that hold greenery on every floor. You’ll see over 15,000 square meters of plants covering the façade—more than twice the site’s footprint.
My friends and I have noticed that it makes the entire corner of Pickering Street feel cooler and calmer, even in the heat. The building is also packed with eco-friendly features like solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and motion-sensor lighting.
Staying here comes with perks like access to the infinity pool that looks out over Chinatown, but honestly, even just passing by is enough to appreciate the scale and thought behind the design.
| Pro Tip: Swing by the public walkway beside the hotel to get an up-close view of the hanging gardens without needing a room key. |
6. Oasia Hotel Downtown
Media credit: @stayoasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stayoasia/
Website: https://www.oasiahotels.com/en/singapore/hotels/oasia-hotel-downtown?
Address: 100 Peck Seah Street
Phone: +65 6812 6900
Hours: Open 24/7
There’s no other skyscraper in Singapore that looks like this. Oasia Hotel Downtown, by WOHA Architects, flips the typical glass-tower formula with a red aluminum mesh exterior and creeping green vines climbing all 27 stories.
The red-and-green color contrast is eye-catching, but it’s not just aesthetic—the mesh lets in light while allowing plants to breathe, and the greenery acts as insulation.
There are three massive sky gardens open to the air, giving guests a chance to enjoy fresh air even dozens of floors up.
What I found really interesting was how the building doesn’t stay the same throughout the year. The plants bloom and shift with the seasons, so the hotel is constantly changing color and texture.
| Pro Tip: For the best photo of the red facade wrapped in greenery, head to the open-air walkway on the third floor of the nearby URA Centre. |
7. National Museum of Singapore
Media credit: @my_galleryz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natmuseum_sg/
Website: https://www.nhb.gov.sg/nationalmuseum/
Address: 93 Stamford Road
Phone: +65 6332 3659
Hours: Daily – 10 AM to 6:30 PM
The National Museum feels like two buildings in one. The front is all neoclassical elegance—arched windows, a big white dome, and symmetrical wings that make it look like something out of old Europe.
But walk around the side, and you’ll see a modern glass-and-steel extension that totally changes the mood. I like how they didn’t try to just stick the new part in—they just let the contrast speak for itself.
You’ll get to see that the interior continues the same mix. You’ve got antique maps and porcelain on one side, and massive projection rooms and touchscreens on the other.
My favorite gallery is the one with the animated forest—it’s inside a pitch-black dome and somehow feels trippy yet peaceful.
| Pro Tip: Walk through the glass connector between the old and new wings around noon—the way the light filters through is unexpectedly cinematic. |
8. The Red Dot Design Museum
Media credit: @designmuseumshop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designmuseumshop/
Website: http://museum.red-dot.sg/
Address: 11 Marina Boulevard, Red Dot Design
Phone: +656 5140 111
Hours: Daily – 11 AM to 7 PM
The Red Dot Design Museum looks nothing like a typical museum, which honestly fits the theme. It used to be in a colonial-era barracks painted fire-engine red, but now it’s housed in a glassy space along Marina Bay.
The current building is small and low-profile, with big windows that make the exhibits inside feel like part of the skyline.
The space gave me the impression that it was supposed to be like a blank canvas; the architecture never tries to steal the show, so the objects inside—chairs, tech gadgets, packaging—get all the attention.
It’s minimalist, but not cold. The lighting’s soft, the pathways are open, and everything feels designed to let you explore at your own pace.
There’s also a little gift shop and café tucked in one corner that continues the clean, design-first look.
| Pro Tip: Go during one of their Market of Artists and Designers (MAAD) nights. You’ll find indie designers selling everything from handmade jewelry to quirky zines, plus the museum stays open late. |
