Glow, Singapore!

Orchard Central - you ought to have heard of it by now. A few weeks ago I stood along Orchard Road in the wee hours and took photos of the mall in different colours. The LED facade is jarring but definitely necessarily to change Singapore's skyline. Personally, Im all for the URA's Lighting Plan. Click here for details of the plan.

In my opinion, Singapore is too dark a city. A stroll down the Singapore River makes me wonder if the lack of florescent neon lights is all we can give as a renowned night spot in the region. C'mon, this isn't exciting!

Before the construction of Orchard Central and the upcoming Ion, our shopping paradise looked dead and liveless. Its like living men walking in a dead street. Buildings all come to a still, having no interaction with the people. I didn't realised it till I visited other cities where the loud flashes of neon billboards inject a streak of life into the streets under the dark skies! The vibrant lighting just woke me up immediately and get me ready for what we call, literally, the
n i g h t l i f e.

The Sunday Times today reported about this change in Singapore's skyline. Not surprisingly, Wilkie Edge, Orchard Central and Ion are mentioned. Some residents who lived opposite the Wilkie Edge complained that the bright LED facade shines into their homes, while some questioned the need for such additional energy consumption with regards to a green environment.

My take is, to the residents, face it. You are living in the central district, the life of the city. You cant expect it to be as dull as downtown neighbourhoods. If you are looking for a peaceful accomodation, the buzzling city is not for you.

Energy consumption is definitely higher with LED facades like the Orchard Central, but it all boils down to what kind of streetscape you want to have in Singapore. You can hardly be termed a rockstar if you don't invest in a few pieces of accessories. Anyway, energy-saving lighting instruments are up and coming, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Im really excited about this lil' red dot in a decade's time! :)