On the waterfront of Marina Bay, at the foot of the grand Marina Bay Sands hotel, which resembles a ship on three skyscrapers, a futuristic "flower" has blossomed — the ArtScience Museum. This is not just a museum, but an architectural manifesto and a symbol of Singapore, where two seemingly opposite elements — creative inspiration and scientific thought — merge into a single whole.
Architectural Masterpiece: Singapore`s "Welcoming Hand"
The museum`s building is the first work of art that visitors see. It was designed by the world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who is also the author of the Marina Bay Sands complex itself. The museum was solemnly opened on February 17, 2011.
The exterior of the museum is stunning. It represents a huge white structure in the shape of an open lotus flower with ten "petals." Each of these petals is a spacious gallery level rising from the base. The highest point reaches 60 meters. A key feature of the structure is the huge circular opening in the very top "petal," which creates the illusion of a flower`s corolla.
But this form is not only aesthetic. It is ingenious from an engineering point of view. Each petal is equipped with a special gutter that collects rainwater. This water flows into the center of the building, forming an impressive 35-meter waterfall in the atrium, and then is stored in a reservoir for further use in toilets and for irrigation, making the museum a model of sustainable architecture. Local residents often call the museum the "welcoming hand of Singapore," as its shape indeed resembles an open palm.
A Journey Through the Halls of the ArtScience Museum
The permanent exhibition that brought it worldwide fame is called "Future World: Where Art Meets Science," created by the team of Japanese designers teamLab. This is not an exhibition of paintings on walls, but an immersive environment where the boundaries between the viewer and art are erased.
Interactive Creativity
Some of the most memorable halls are those where visitors become co-authors of the digital world.
Creating a Naval Fleet: In one of the zones, children and adults are given sheets of thick paper and colored pencils. Here, one can draw and color their own ship, airplane, or car. Then the magic begins at special scanners: your drawing is digitized and instantly "comes to life" on a giant projection wall. You see your unique ship sailing across a virtual sea with other vessels created by visitors, navigating around islands and lighthouses. This is an incredibly touching moment when the result of your own creativity becomes part of a huge, ever-changing digital canvas.
Launching Airplanes into Beams of Light: In another hall, you can "launch" your drawn airplane into a special zone. Beams of light are directed at it, and it "takes off" from your palm, joining a colorful vortex of other aircraft circling under the vaults of the hall. These installations vividly demonstrate the connection between analog creativity and digital technology, teach cooperation, and delight with simple yet spectacular magic.
Crystal Universe and Mirror Infinity
Another hall that takes your breath away is "Crystal Universe." You enter a dark space where your path leads across a narrow bridge. And all around, from top to bottom, the space is filled with countless shimmering LED points, suspended on the thinnest, almost invisible glass strands.
The floor in this hall is a perfectly polished mirror that reflects this endless network of lights, creating a complete illusion of floating in outer space. The installation is controlled in real-time, and visitors can influence the "star map" using their smartphones, choosing various elements of the universe for visualization. This is simultaneously a meditative and captivating spectacle that makes you contemplate infinity and our place in it.
More Than a Museum
In addition to "Future World," the museum regularly hosts major temporary exhibitions dedicated to a wide variety of topics — from masterpieces of Impressionism and the history of ancient civilizations to innovations in robotics and cinematic universes.
The ArtScience Museum is the philosophy of modern Singapore embodied in concrete and glass. It is a place where children learn by playing, and adults once again feel like children, mesmerized by the magic of technology. This is not just a tourist attraction to check off a list, but a deep, interactive experience that proves that art and science are two wings that allow human imagination to soar higher.
