A lot of architourists visiting Singapore have been messaging me for recommendations on how they should visit the internationally acclaimed sustainable buildings of WOHA Architects.
Check out the overall map above and recommendations grouped by proximity below to help you plan your trip!
Stay in a WOHA designed hotel
To really get a good feel for the tropical sustainable architecture of WOHA, stay in a WOHA designed hotel! There’s two excellent options: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering and Oasia Downtown Hotel, but I’d definitely recommend the Parkroyal (#1 on my list of 10 best hotels for architects in Singapore).
Explore the WOHA ‘hood
Whether you’re staying at the Parkroyal or not, make sure to check out the cascading gardens from the outside. You can get some great pictures from the adjacent Hong Lim Park.
While you’re in the neighbourhood, there’s a few other WOHA designs to check out. Just across from Hong Lim Park, check out a super cute bronze addition to a pair of existing conservation buildings at 48 North Canal Road. The WOHA office is just behind at 29 HongKong Street (it’s not open to the public but you can check it out from the front and back).
Take a break at the hipster cafe Punch, just down the road. The rear courtyard was designed by WOHA and the mesmerizing floor tiles were designed by WOHA co-founder @richardhassellart.
Take a ride between WOHA train stations
WOHA designed two of the coolest train stations in Singapore, Bras Basah Station and Stadium Station. They are located 15 minutes apart on the Circle Line, so it’s super easy to visit both.
Stadium Station is coolest from the inside so you can check it out without exiting the ticketed area. Bras Basah Station is awesome to explore, the station is covered by a water-covered glass skylight that casts rippled light down into the station. It’s also worth checking out from the outside, where the station almost completely disappears as a simple reflection pool in a park.
Go for a walk around Bras Basah / Bugis
There’s a bunch of WOHA buildings in the Bras Basah area, so start from the WOHA designed train station and go for a walk! Just down the road is the School of the Arts (SOTA). The upper classroom levels are closed to the public, but you can explore the public spaces at ground level and check out the green facade and dramatic cantilevers from the outside.
Also nearby is Wilkie Edge, a shopping mall with some interesting details, facade, and urban form. Make sure to check out the Space Furniture Showroom, a series of conserved buildings immaculately refurbished and joined with a new building by WOHA. It’s a shop, so you can explore this one- make sure to find the insta-worthy spiral staircase in the back. It’s also worth checking out the dramatic curves at nearby Bugis+, with it’s incredible media facade.
Design Orchard
If you’re checking out Orchard Road (Singapore’s famous shopping street lined with malls), take a break at Design Orchard. The building houses a design shop featuring the work of local designers so you can pick up some souvenirs, but make sure to check out the publicly accessible rooftop. It was designed to feel like a hilltop park with great views of Orchard Road, lush landscaping, and lots of interesting corners to explore.
Skyville at Dawson & Enabling Village
Just slightly outside of the city centre (10 mins by cab or 30 mins by public transport), it’s worth taking a look at two of WOHA’s buildings with interesting social aspects.
Skyville at Dawson is a mega public housing development, which luckily means that you can explore the public garden levels stacked up the building, and get awesome views from the rooftop. Just take the lift to the skygarden levels.
The nearby Enabling Village is an adaptive reuse of an existing school complex to create a facility to support differently abled people. WOHA added with lush gardens, interesting pavilions, and an amphitheatre between the existing buildings- and there is a cafe and great shop which supports social causes.
Kampung Admiralty
Located in the north of Singapore (from the city, about 30 mins by cab or an hour by public transport), Kampung Admiralty is well worth a visit if you have the time (it was named best building in the world in 2018). The mixed-use building contains a public plaza, food centre, medical centre, and elderly housing.
As another public housing building, the building is mostly open to the public (except the medical centre). So you can freely explore the plaza, have lunch in the food centre, and then take the lift up to explore the public terraced rooftop gardens and urban farm!
Church of St Mary of the Angels
Completed in 2003, this is one of WOHA’s older projects and is located in western Singapore (from the city, about 30 mins by cab or an hour by public transport). The church is stunning and the underground columbarium is amazing, just check the opening hours and be conscientious. If you are Catholic, Christian, or willing to sit through a church service; the space is really cool to see during a Sunday service.
At the Airport
Consistently ranked as one of the best airport hotels in the world, the interior of the hotel is fantastic so if you have a long layover it’s worth a stay. If not, just make sure to check out the fantastic flower inspired facade on your way in or out. Keep your eye out for the hotel addition next door, which also has a beautiful facade and was assembled in 26 days. The buildings are visible from Terminals 1-3 and you’ll see it if you visit the Jewel.
Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions or if this post helped you plan your trip! For hardcore architourists, check out my full list of cool architecture in Singapore.
Views expressed on this website are solely my own and do not represent those of my employer. Images by Jonathan Choe.
