The story
Welcome to the heart of Singapore’s performing arts scene. I’m Avsha, and as we stand here before these two massive, spiky domes, I know exactly what’s on your mind because it’s the number one question every visitor asks. Why does it look like a giant durian?
It is a fair question. This is the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, but to every local, it is simply the Big Durian. When this landmark opened in 2002, the architects from DP Architects and Michael Wilford actually didn’t have fruit on the brain.
They were trying to solve a very Singaporean problem: the heat. Those seven thousand triangular aluminum sunshades that give the building its prickly texture were designed to let in natural light while shielding the glass interiors from the tropical sun. If you look closely, you’ll notice the spikes change their angles to follow the sun’s path throughout the day.
It was high-tech engineering that just happened to look like the world’s most polarizing fruit. But your guests might also ask what was here before the spikes arrived. For decades, this waterfront was the site of the legendary Satay Club.
Long before the world-class acoustics of the Concert Hall existed, this patch of land was filled with the smoke of charcoal grills and the chatter of families sitting on low stools, enjoying sticks of grilled meat by the sea. It was the soul of the city’s social life. When the government decided to build a premier arts center here, there was a lot of pressure to ensure it didn't feel elitist or cold.
That leads to the next common question: is it only for high-society gala events? Absolutely not. The Esplanade was designed to be an arts center for everyone.
If you wander inside, you’ll find the Concourse, which hosts free performances almost every day of the year. There is a library dedicated to the performing arts on the third floor and a rooftop garden that offers one of the best free views of the Marina Bay Sands across the water. If you’re lucky enough to step into the Concert Hall, you are standing in one of only five halls in the world with such advanced acoustics.
The entire structure actually sits on rubber pads to insulate it from the vibrations of the passing underground trains. It is a masterpiece of silence in a very loud city. So, the next time someone asks you about the giant spikes, tell them it’s more than a durian.
It’s a bridge between the old street food days of the waterfront and our future as a global cultural capital. Let’s take a walk toward the Jubilee Bridge now to see how the light hits those aluminum scales as the sun begins to set.