Sustainable Singapore Gallery is a small educational museum on energy resources and conservation located at the Marina barrage building Singapore. Notably, it is situated where the Singapore national gardens, the Gardens by the bay resides. Lets visit the attraction today with a visitation and walk through.
The Marina barrage
Additionally, the Marina barrage at its core is a reservoir water level management service building. It is also built into a lifestyle hub and park at the Gardens by the Bay. Moreover, the building has a huge non-public accessible pump room.
Also, this facility regulates the water levels between the freshwater Singapore Marina reservoir and the salty seawater beyond. Also, the top floor of the building is a vast open green space. This public space is great for picnics and popular with hobby kite flyers.
Moreover, the ground floor is a popular park rest spot, being equipped with toilets. Also, a hawker and car park reside here which links the cycling and walking paths between the Garden’s South extension to the north. Additionally, it has a couple of fountains here which spruces up the area. Entry is free with a booking beforehand due to Covid-19 crowd restrictions.
6 galleries of Sustainability
Additionally, the Sustainable Singapore galleries we are visiting is on the second floor. It sits in-entirely here between the upper between the ground and roof green space.
In a nutshell, the galleries comprise of 6 main sections starting with a video showcase. You enter first into a foyer showing you a video introduction to the exhibits. Also, there is also a video screening room here. Moreover, you move into the Red dot introduction section of Singapore being a small country with no natural resources; painting the landscape.
Additionally, it introduces the Climate Action Plan sector. Also, it follows through the climate chamber which teaches about the consequences of global warming, tad like the one we saw previously at the Garden’s Cloud Forest Conservatory. This is conducted through several informatics boards and a centrepiece lit by LEDs activated by media screens. Also, this gallery leads onto the next chamber teaching about water initiatives in the country. Called the “Four national taps” gallery.
Water conservation via “Four taps”
Furthermore, here, the displays are focused mainly on Singapore water sources and reservoirs. Also, you can learn of Singapore various water sources “From the First drop“, from reservoirs to Newater waste water treatment, desalination and import of water from foreign sources. This four sources form the “four taps”.
Also covered here are large notable water projects, such as the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System which runs through the country. It conveys used water by gravity to centralised water reclamation plants on the country outskirts.
Furthermore, following on is the “Explore Singapore” gallery. It covers Singapore as a “First world Oasis”. This teaches of Singapore as a green garden city. Learn of Singapore’s large network of trees, greenery, parks and gardens sprawled across the entire country.
Also, it covers the thought behind why certain types of trees are planted around the country. Reasons include shade in parks, slender trunks for cover along roads, to aesthetics.
In addition, these galleries all sit in a vast exhibition grounds, with each of these last 4 sectors sprawled around the perimeter of a “River”. Also, this “river” wave runs through connecting these 4 galleries together. It comprises of a themed waves comprises of displays and printed information within. Such as an empty 25-pounder artillery shell casing displayed used during the gun salute during the passing of Lee Kuan Yew.
Available as a guided tour
Moreover, the Sustainable Singapore Gallery sectors are self-navigating. It allows you to learn more about how to create a liveable and sustainable Singapore. You are recommended to follow through the group guided tour. Also, tour bookings for public walk-ins can be done at the Barrage’s first floor information counter. Of course, subjected to space availability for that hourly slot.
Following on the next gallery, City of the Future comprises of smart energy solutions. This ranges from household, neighbourhood to district levels. Some examples include integrated parks with waterways and wetlands. Also covered are efficient living at home, educating visitors to prefer energy efficient electrical and water-use products through identification using appliance Energy labels.
Reducing energy use and waste
Furthermore, items of District level initiatives includes Jurong lake districts, clean tech park, Punggol Northshore districts, and the use of Solar energy on building rooftops to reservoirs. Waste and garbage is another area of concern in Singapore.
In particular is the risk of running out of landfill space over the coming decades. A wall of trash here clearly illustrates the problem that simply throwing away trash is not the end of the problem. There is a pressing need to literally sort out our trash issue.
Hence, the journey to zero aims to educate you on conservation (reduce), recycling and reuse (the 3 Rs). Also, this sector is home to a waste sculpture made out of everyday household waste items. Displays worth a mention here includes waste optimisation initiatives and the notorious Pneumatic waster conveyance system found in newer HDB estates.
Lastly, the last section leading to the exit is the Future Tense section. It comprises of wall murals and a photo booth before existing back into the entrance lobby area of the Sustainable Singapore Gallery.
All in all, you are good for the Sustainable Singapore Gallery for an hour, or two if you were to explore all the exhibits. Also, the museum-gallery is open 9am to 6pm daily, and closed on Tuesdays. Guided tours are available every hourly slots. They run till 5pm, less the lunch hour slot from 12pm- 1pm. Due to its remote location, it is often empty and a nice place to chill in the Gardens by the Bay for an informative learning day out.
