A central location this hotel indeed has, when, from the rooftop pool, you get an uninterrupted view as marvellous as this on all three sides.
I didn't know what to expect when I took the lift up, and so it came as a surprise when from here in a single spot on one side, I could see Newton Road curve its way down towards the skyscrapers of Orchard Road, River Valley and beyond, I could see the pretty residential houses bordered by Chancery Lane, Newton and Dunearn Road, and further on, I could see the vast green of the Central Catchment Area all the way up to Bukit Timah Hill peeking out over the horizon.
From here I could see westwards all the way along the stretch of Bukit Timah Road towards Clementi. I could see southwards past the skyscrapers of Orchard towards the River Valley district behind and the Tanjong Pagar district further back still. And I could see, on the other side, the buildings that lay eastwards towards Downtown (in the distance) and, further still, Kallang.
This was a semicircular view.
I loved it.
I loved how it made me realize just how a person's perspective could change when evolving from a micro view to that of a macro. I loved how I never knew just how the island looked from a place this central at a spot as elevated as this. And more importantly, I loved how this view was now open to just about anyone and everyone who might desire it at any one point in time- without any barriers, social, educational or otherwise.
This view might have been lovelier seen in the dusky light of the setting sun, but beautiful it was on this bright, sunny late morning, nonetheless.
Who would have thought that from a birds' eye as this, one would be able to see how the edge of these lovely homes gave way to the dark green foilage of the Police Academy leading to more green foilage seemingly in the middle of nowhere that would eventually lead to the trees surrounding Lornie, MacRitchie, Seletar and Mandai?
And who would have thought that for many years a view similar to this could lead one to have an overwhelming sense of awe at the influence such a view produced?
Yes, it is a cynical perspective, but one I'd believe, to be very true.
For it is at a spot as this that you realize just how many people there are living on this tiny little island, you realize just how many individual lives there are that exist on our arable land, and you realize just how these lives, unknown yet unique, from distinctly separate circles can actually be connected in a complicated, yet directed, Venn sort of way.
I didn't know what to expect when I took the lift up, and so it came as a surprise when from here in a single spot on one side, I could see Newton Road curve its way down towards the skyscrapers of Orchard Road, River Valley and beyond, I could see the pretty residential houses bordered by Chancery Lane, Newton and Dunearn Road, and further on, I could see the vast green of the Central Catchment Area all the way up to Bukit Timah Hill peeking out over the horizon.
From here I could see westwards all the way along the stretch of Bukit Timah Road towards Clementi. I could see southwards past the skyscrapers of Orchard towards the River Valley district behind and the Tanjong Pagar district further back still. And I could see, on the other side, the buildings that lay eastwards towards Downtown (in the distance) and, further still, Kallang.
This was a semicircular view.
I loved it.
I loved how it made me realize just how a person's perspective could change when evolving from a micro view to that of a macro. I loved how I never knew just how the island looked from a place this central at a spot as elevated as this. And more importantly, I loved how this view was now open to just about anyone and everyone who might desire it at any one point in time- without any barriers, social, educational or otherwise.
This view might have been lovelier seen in the dusky light of the setting sun, but beautiful it was on this bright, sunny late morning, nonetheless.
Who would have thought that from a birds' eye as this, one would be able to see how the edge of these lovely homes gave way to the dark green foilage of the Police Academy leading to more green foilage seemingly in the middle of nowhere that would eventually lead to the trees surrounding Lornie, MacRitchie, Seletar and Mandai?
And who would have thought that for many years a view similar to this could lead one to have an overwhelming sense of awe at the influence such a view produced?
Yes, it is a cynical perspective, but one I'd believe, to be very true.
For it is at a spot as this that you realize just how many people there are living on this tiny little island, you realize just how many individual lives there are that exist on our arable land, and you realize just how these lives, unknown yet unique, from distinctly separate circles can actually be connected in a complicated, yet directed, Venn sort of way.