Today marks 100 days since I moved to Singapore. To celebrate, I was tempted by darkness...
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See that there building in that there link, the one that looks like the over-sized shipping containers stacked atop each other? (http://buro-os.com/the-interlace/) Yes, that one. It is called The Interlace, and it is a condominium in South Singapore, designed by some German bloke called Ole Scheeren (no relation to Ed) and completed in 2014. It contains 1,040 apartments. In November 2015, The Interlace was awarded first place in the 'World Building of the Year Award' at the World Architecture Festival (https://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/congratulations-2015-waf-winners). I must say, I didn't think it looked all that extraordinary. It was nice enough, but the best building in the world? Who's to say?
Today, I got my own personal tour of this acclaimed building when I went to view one of its 12th-floor apartments. And it is not until you have been inside it, or even on top of one its many roof gardens, that you get a feel for why this complex won the award. There is no conceivable way, given the orientations of the "containers" with respect to each other, that you could get the same view from two different roof gardens, and that's part of the excellence of it. The landlady, Trace, took me up to the 13th-floor roof garden, and the views of Singapore from there are staggering. We could see the ocean and even Sentosa, Singapore's famous beach island off the south coast. I am told that the views of the Chinese New Year fireworks in February will be particularly impressive from the roof garden.
In addition to the multiple roof gardens, the condo boasts its own residents' gym, games room, three karaoke rooms, a 50-metre swimming pool (if you're into that sort of thing), three tennis courts, a running track, a spa (with sauna and jacuzzi), a study room with desks, charging points and Wi-Fi, a cinema, a barbecue pit, a residents' cafe and a residents' grocery shop. With a mere 1,040 apartments, you might imagine it would get pretty crowded. But the unique design ensures that every container operates as its own self-contained block, with no awkward after-you polkas in the lifts. So, living at The Interlace is probably about as close as the mere mortal could get to sinful opulence.
For the price of $1500 pcm (£705) - which, believe it or not, is not too far off the average rent for a condo in Singapore - I could have myself a room in Trace's apartment. She lives there with her partner and a French student. The three seem to be quite close, often eating together, watching TV and even going cycling in Sentosa of a weekend. I think I could fit in quite well. The room is the smallest in the apartment, but still large enough for my needs. And, in many years, I could tell anyone that cared to listen that once upon a time I lived in the World Building of the Year. The only catch as far as I can tell is that Trace and her partner are Liverpool supporters, but the Hammers' recent 2-0 victory over Liverpool means that they're unlikely to shout it out too loudly.
I have a few more viewings lined up over the coming days, and perhaps I will find one that suits my needs more. For instance, the location of The Interlace is not ideal. It is a fair way from the nearest MRT (railway) station, but they've even thought of that by laying on a complimentary shuttle service in the mornings and evenings! Nevertheless, my early conversations with the landlords and tenants of other properties have been promising, so I am hopeful that I will find a good place to take out a long-term contract for the entire year or even for the remainder of my time here in Singapore, whether that be at The Interlace or elsewhere.
Back in September, I had huge trouble even eliciting a response to my enquiries about properties, because of the thinly-disguised racism of some landlords in this country. This time, I have prepared a story in the event that someone should accuse me of being Indian: my dad is called Dave, and he is a builder from Thurrock, where he does "Dave the builder from Thurrock"-type things like drinking horrible-tasting beer and voting Labour. That's if anyone asks, which they haven't yet, except by way of making conversation.
Today marked a meaningless but symbolic milestone: 100 days of living in Singapore. By the end of his first 100 days as US President, Franklin D Roosevelt had ended the Great Depression. It takes our entire Earth only that long to travel over 160 million miles around the Sun. While the Earth lilted underneath it, Apollo 11 could go to the Moon and back 12 times in 100 days. My own "First 100 Days" draw to a close, but I cannot boast of any such grandiose achievements as I sit squarely in my dank HDB in Geylang, lamenting the four-month delay in the opening of my research labs, and hoping that I haven't done anything else to warrant another telling off from my housemates! But perhaps the tide - which goes in and out 200 times in 100 days - is about to turn in my favour...
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By,
The Imperial Orange,
7th January 2016
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