• Bangladesh!

    Bangladesh: Traditional houses. Go Now!

    Bangladesh
    This low-lying country has historic ties to India and Pakistan, but today maintains a wholly unique culture. Explore Bangladesh!

  • Indonesia!

    Indonesia: Lombok. Go Now!

    Indonesia
    This archipelago nation is culturally diverse from big cities to isolated islands. Begin Your Journey!

  • Jordan!

    Jordan: Petra. Go Now!

    Jordan
    Tucked away in this Middle Eastern country, the famed city of Petra (pictured) links the past to the present culture. Explore Jordan!

  • Mongolia!

    Mongolia: Desert. Go Now!

    Mongolia
    This vast country has a culture that spans past and present... a nomadic life shifting to a modern & sedentary society. Begin Your Journey!

  • Kyrgyzstan!

    Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Mountains. Go Now!

    Kyrgyzstan
    The mountains, including the Tian Shan Mountains (pictured), give Kyrgyzstan a unique culture, partially formed from this isolation from the mountains. Go Now!

Architecture of Singapore

Singapore Architecture - Sky scrapers
Sky scrapers

Singapore's short history lends to its short architectural history. Prior to heavy immigration and British dominance on the island most local architecture was housing that was similar to the nearby Malay Peninsula. Most houses were made of wood and built on stilts with large open windows to cool the buildings. Once the British arrived in 1819 these slowly disappeared and today are gone.

Early on, the merchants under British rule built from stone and brick to prevent fires; the island was primarily a shipping hub so warehouses were common and these were simple brick buildings for much of the 1800s. Another type of building common during the time were places of worship as traders from all over the world settled numerous temples, mosques, and churches were built, again, primarily from stone or brick and survive today in Singapore City.

As the city of Singapore grew so did it's quantity of architecture as governmental building and entertainment centers were erected. Most of these building are distinctly British in nature as were the later Art Deco buildings that arrived in the 1920s and 1930s; the airport and Cathay Building are both in this style.

After World War II though the British were removed from power and modern architecture took over the island. This began first in the construction of housing, schools, hospitals, and other public services needed by the growing population. Then in the 1970s and after this shifted to the building of skyscrapers, which now define the city's skyline and allow huge numbers of people and businesses to live and work on the small island, giving the island a fairly high population density.

This page was last updated: May, 2014