Lego Art Sculptures Exhibition at ArtScience Museum Singapore by Nathan Sawaya : Sony a99 Carl Zeiss 16-35 mm

Just before going to Singapore I had seen a television program on Nathan Sawaya, a lawyer turned Lego artist. The program talked about how he got into making art with Lego, his work process and showed off many of his works, which I found absolutely amazing. So I was very surprised and happy when I found out that he was having an exhibition of his work at the ArtScience museum in Singapore, just around the corner from where I was staying at the Marina Bay Sands, so of course I went to check it out.

The exhibition is appropriately named The Art Of The Brick and it has been so popular that it has been extended to the 26th May 2013. Having seen the exhibit this is not surprising at all, all of his scuptures are extremely beautiful, they are truly works of art and you feel as though you are admiring marble sculptures of the greats from ancient Rome.

The sculptures are also brilliantly displayed, lots of credits must especially go to whoever did the lighting. Although it was a bit dark for taking photos (at least ISO 3200), it really created an amazing atmosphere. So I guess it was a good thing I got the a99 before this trip, as I don't think my old a900 would have coped.

And I thought Lego would sink like a "brick" (get it...haha...emm...sorry).

One large peace sign made up of lots of Lego pieces (sorry for another horrible pun).

I wouldn't want to take a bite out of these apples.

It's John Lennon in case anyone's wondering.

This Roman temple is not made of marble or granite but Lego bricks.

Not sure if you can tell from the photo but the scale of this T-Rex is really impressive, it is actually about three times the height of a person. It actually reminded me of when I had the chance to visit the Natural History Museum in London and there was a large T-Rex fossil on display in the main hall.

A model of the ArtScience museum where the exhibition is housed.

Gardens By The Bay Singapore is well worth a visit : Sony a99 Carl Zeiss 16-35mm

If you ever find yourself in Singapore and looking for places to see, the Gardens By The Bay is well worth a visit. It comprises three main areas, two large domes enclosing very different types of habitats, one a tropical rain forest and another consisting of all types of flowers, and a large outdoor area garden with many features and sculptures. With it's unique architecture the domes have become another landmark of Singapore.

My favorite part of the gardens is probably inside the taller dome containing a rain forest ecosystem, known as the "Cloud Forest". A very appropriate name really, since the dome is probably larger vertically than horizontally and the whole garden is built as one large cliff/mountain complete with it's own waterfall, where visitors can walk around and explore both outside and inside.

A gigantic waterfall is the first sight that confronts you as you enter the Cloud Forest dome. It really felt as if you have been trekking through the jungle and suddenly you discover a secret waterfall. It is not just the sight but the sound, smell and the feeling of cool mist emanating from it that just takes you to another world.

You actually have to start your exploration by taking an elevator to the top and then follow a walkway which snakes down, around and through the vertical garden level by level.

Since it is a new attraction there is bound to be a large number of visitors, although the way it was designed you would not feel crowded when walking around.

The walkway's organic design really blends in perfectly with all of the plants, and is also a joy to walk around.

If you are afraid of heights you might not want to look down.

I just realized I have hardly any pictures of the Flower Dome (the other dome) at all. That is probably because I enjoyed the Cloud Forest a lot more, I just found it much more impressive and interesting with it's unique design. The Flower Dome's layout is quite flat, it is pretty much a regular flower garden (albeit a great one) housed inside a glass dome.

Another part of the Gardens By The Bay that I really enjoyed though are the outdoor areas, which is very large and extensive (and completely free).

One feature that stands out are these tall oversized "flower structures" that dominate the landscape.

The outside area is also open to the public at night time until 2 am, when these "flower structures" are lit up in spectacular fashion. Sadly I did not have a chance to see it first hand as I was only there during the daytime.

These structures are not just for show however, and many of them serve different functions.

On top of one is a restaurant with a 360 degree view of the gardens. Not sure how good the food is but I am sure you can feast your eyes on the gorgeous view.

If you don't feel like eating but want to get up high to take in the view, you can have a walk on the OCBC Skyway. You will need a ticket though, which costs 5 Singapore Dollars (about $4) and it is a good idea to buy the tickets at the same time as you buy tickets for the domes, because if you wait till you are at the Skyway to decide if you want to go up, you will face a long walk back to the ticket office which is located near the domes.

Overall I really enjoyed my visit to the Gardens By The Bay, it was one of my best experience during this trip, and if I am ever back in Singapore again I will definite go back for another visit. Below are the information for ticket prices (at the time of writing) in case anybody else is interested.

For Adult it is 28 Singapore Dollars (about $23) to enter the two domes and 5 Singapore Dollars (about $4) for the Skyway. For Children between 3-12 years old it is 15 Singapore Dollars (about $12) for the two domes and 3 Singapore Dollars (about $2.50) for the Skyway.