10 Amazing Buildings in Singapore You Might Think in Animated Movies Only

10 amazing buildings in Singapore that you may not have noticed before

Many people think that there is not much to do when it comes to architecture in Singapore. Certainly, Singapore has a few cool buildings, such as the iconic Esplanade (or Durian building, as it is so lovingly called) and the Marina Bay Sands Towers. Maybe the Art Science Museum can also count as one.

All in all, there is really nothing to shout about, right? Wrong! Did you know that there are actually quite a few architectural gems strewn around this small island? Scroll on to find out!

1. The Hive, Nanyang Technological University

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Aptly named The Hive, this building located on the campus of Nanyang Technological University is designed as an alternative campus space that looks like a hive. This runs parallel with the motto to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas between students.

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The Hive also happens to be the first recipient of the Green Mark Platinum Star Champion prize by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore's highest award for outstanding commitment to sustainable design. The most important environmentally friendly characteristic voices of the unique ventilation concept, which exchanges air conditioning for natural ventilation as an opening between pods, are designed for natural ventilation to the atrium, corridors, stairs and elevator lobbies.

2. Skyville @ Dawson, Queenstown

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Due to the clever design, the houses at Skyville @ Dawson are column and beam-free, so that spaces can be easily changed and adapted. Here you will see that air terraces replace traditional emptiness decks, and bring social housing to a whole new level (pun is not intended).

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Skyville @ Dawson is also an environmentally friendly building, built with 12 sky gardens and a roof garden on the 47th floor (with a 400m jogging track!). Common areas, elevator lobbies and access roads are all naturally ventilated, while solar cells are used to power the lights on the roof.

3. The Interlace, Bukit Merah

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The Interlace is a condominium in Singapore that has won multiple awards for its architectural splendour with 31 blocks of apartments stacked (or string if you want) in a hexagonal arrangement. Remarkable prizes are World Building of The Year in 2015 and the Urban Habitat Award in 2014.

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The design ensures that almost every apartment has a wide panoramic view of the surrounding areas and guess what? There is a water park in the condominium itself! Forget about ordinary swimming pools, this place even has a spa valley! How cool is that?

4. Eco Sanctuary, Bukit Panjang

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The Eco-Sanctuary in Bukit Panjang has an ecology-inspired concept and a building structure that mimics a honeycomb, with hexagonal fixtures that frame the surface of each building.

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In addition to a decorative function, the hexagonal façade also has a "wind-catching" purpose to maximize ventilation through the building.

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Eco Sanctuary has two viewing platforms (inspired by birds nests), where residents can enjoy a 270 ° view of their surroundings and a "Sky Walk" that connects all three towers!

5. SkyTerrace @ Dawson, Queenstown

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Across the street from Skyville @ Dawson is SkyTerrace @ Dawson, which is another cool HDB that we would all like to live in. With a design that looks like a game of Tetris or maybe Lego blocks, this building is certainly a beautiful piece of architecture.

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Some houses here consist of a flat with four or five rooms that are connected to a studio apartment via a staircase and an internal door. Following Skyville @ Dawson, the building is also environmentally friendly with numerous sky gardens; about 70% of the property is covered with greenery!

6. Treehouse, Bukit Timah

Did you know that Tree House is the world's largest vertical garden? Yes, the environmentally friendly 24-storey condominium in Bukit Timah has been given a place in the Guinness World Records 2014 due to its unique design and huge size. 

The vertical garden reduces the carbon footprint of the estate by reducing the energy needed to cool indoor spaces, while other green features are heat-resistant windows and motion sensor-activated lights in public spaces.

In addition to the usual recreational swimming pool, Tree House also has a rain spa, a swimming pool and an aqua gym!

7. School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University

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If you think The Hive is the only cool campus building at Nanyang Technological University, you've seen the university's AD, Art, Design and Media (ADM) building! The ADM school consists of three intertwined blocks that flow together to enclose a square and it also has a completely green peat roof!

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Within this architectural wonder lie classrooms, a library and other design studios for the use of art, design and media students. This building definitely makes a cool classroom!

8. Pinnacle @ Duxton, Tanjong Pagar

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The Pinnacle @ Duxton is another award-winning building in Singapore that will surely surprise your socks. This series of buildings for social housing has the two longest overhead bridges in the world (complete with a jogging track and air garden) on both the 26th and 50th floors that connect all seven towers.

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If you're looking for an opportunity to enjoy the scenic, panoramic view for yourself, you'll be happy to know that the 50th-floor Sky Garden is open to the public for a small fee or $ 6 ... or you can try to find a friend who will stay there to sneak you in for free!

9. The Marq, Paterson Hill

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View the ultimate luxury large ticket item to put on your wish list! The Marq on Paterson Hill is the first luxury apartment building ever fully furnished by Hermes, the luxury fashion company! Covered with Hermes furniture, upholstery fabrics and decors such as carpets and crockery together with artwork, to say that this building is really a work of art in itself would probably be an understatement.

The Marq is not unabashed for its extravagance and is also equipped with a private 15-meter pool that hangs over the city skyline for every unit in The Signature Tower. Imagine that! A building with a swimming pool on every floor where you can just take a dip at any time! Can you say # housings?

10. Ferrell Residences, Bukit Timah

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Have you seen this layered building with square edges before passing Bukit Timah? When it comes to a whimsical, unorthodox design, Ferrell Residences definitely fits the bill. Designed to mimic two symmetrical figures that extend to the sky in a "sensual silhouette", it is certainly an architectural structure that you do not see every day!

There are only two units per level at Ferrell Residences. Full windows on each side of the apartment provide more light and air in addition to a 270 ° view. An air terrace, a jet pool, a spa and a jacuzzi are some of the luxury amenities that also contribute to this unique building.

They may not be able to match the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but you can certainly deny that these buildings are a refreshing sight for the endless HDB buildings or skyscrapers in the Central Business District!

How many of these buildings have you actually seen before?