01Start

Before the towers

The harbour came first

This image is of the harbour, not the hotel: containers and quays on a passage between oceans. The Port of Singapore ranks among the world’s busiest container ports, a hub of regional trade. Today the city skyline rises behind it, yet the journey starts by understanding that water drew settlement before the towers. At sunset you see ships and cranes, then ride the MRT to the bay where the working harbour meets the new waterfront. Do not skip this frame: the port explains the districts, the food and the languages as clearly as it explains the towers.