Marina Barrage illustrates how a well crafted piece of infrastructure can become a beloved urban asset. As part of a major infrastructural strategy to sustainably collect urban rainwater runoff for re-use in the public water supply, the Barrage was built to turn Singapore’s Marina Bay from a saltwater basin into a freshwater catchment reservoir.
Part of the hydrological operations of the barrage required a large pump station, which could have ended up as yet another infrastructural blight like many along the world’s waterfronts. Instead, the pump building has become a well used vibrant public space in the city, covered in a sweeping lawn above, and a generous sheltered plaza below.
The sweeping curvilinear forms of the Barrage are inviting, expressive and useful. At ground level, the building is open and provides connections to surrounding public circulation paths. The generous rooftop lawn has created a beloved public space for picnics and kite flying among the backdrop of the Singapore skyline.
The Barrage dam itself is open as a public bridge, connecting two sides of the Gardens by the Bay.
The Barrage provides panoramic views of the Singapore skyline and the numerous boats passing through the Straits of Singapore. The famous $300 million Luxury Motor Yacht A, designed by Philippe Starck and owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko was spotted from the Barrage in July 2019.
Engineers have also devised a very unique way for boats to cross the Barrage between the bay and the sea, check out the video below!
Images and video by Jonathan Choe
