DAY 2: Vertical Dreams and City Visions – URA, Pinnacle@Duxton, and WOHA

The second day of our Singapore study trip was all about looking at the city from the top—and from the inside out. From macro-level masterplans at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to the bold, vertical expression of public housing at Pinnacle@Duxton, and finally to a behind-the-scenes insight at WOHA Architects, this day was packed with ideas, inspiration, and unforgettable city views.

First Stop: URA – Planning the City of the Future

We began our morning at the URA Centre, Singapore’s main planning authority responsible for guiding the physical development of the city-state. It’s not every day that you get to visit a country’s urban planning nerve center, and walking into URA instantly gave the feeling that this wasn’t just about architecture—it was about vision.

The experience began with a multimedia introduction—a short film projected across a panoramic screen showcasing Singapore’s urban evolution. What made it different wasn’t just the content, but the way it was presented. The lighting displays and animated projections across the physical models created a dynamic story, highlighting how specific districts evolved, how green spaces were incorporated, and how transport networks connected seamlessly across the island. This wasn’t just a video—it was a multi-sensory design experience, bridging digital and physical storytelling. As a student, I couldn’t help but think: Why don’t we have this back home?

Then came the showstopper—the large-scale physical model of Singapore’s entire urban footprint. Towering over it like giants, we were drawn into every miniature detail—dense clusters of high-rises in the CBD, the structured layout of HDB towns, the uniformity of green belts, and even landmark buildings like Marina Bay Sands and Jewel Changi. It was like seeing Singapore from a bird’s eye, compressed into a single room.

The model didn’t just showcase buildings—it told a story about intentionality. You could see the logic behind each zoning cluster, the symmetry of transport access, the strategic placement of green and blue infrastructure. It revealed a country that plans forward, yet responds to the ground. It made me realize:

Urban planning, when done right, can feel like a form of storytelling.

Pinnacle@Duxton – The Condo-Level HDB That Redefined Public Housing

From macro to micro, we took the MRT toward Tanjong Pagar to visit a building I had only seen in books and articles before—Pinnacle@Duxton. Unlike the older HDBs we visited in Queenstown, this was a whole new language of public housing. From afar, it already asserted its presence—seven slender towers, 50 storeys high, linked by sky bridges that wrap across the skyline like ribbons.

What makes Pinnacle@Duxton remarkable isn’t just its scale, but the boldness of its vision. It redefines what public housing can be—high-density living without compromising livability, views, greenery, or design. The term “condo-level HDB” really comes alive here. Designed with architectural finesse, the towers have varied facades and thoughtful spacing that avoids monotony. Even the podium garden was designed as a tranquil zone of reflection and greenery—rarely seen in public housing elsewhere.

But of course, the highlight of this visit was the sky garden on the 50th floor, which is open to the public via ticketed access. Only one of the two sky bridges—at the very top—is open to visitors. As we stepped out onto the elevated garden, Singapore’s cityscape unfolded around us in 360 degrees.

The sky garden itself wasn’t just a flat rooftop—it was textured, layered, and interactive. There were elevated stone platforms that allowed us to sit or stand at different heights. These levels weren’t just photogenic (though yes, our cameras worked overtime); they also subtly guided us to look at the city from different visual planes, emphasizing the verticality of Singapore’s growth.

From one end, we saw the port, cranes, and industrial edges; from another, the CBD skyscrapers gleamed in glass and steel; turning again, we caught sight of Sentosa's distant green ridges. It was a city of contrasts and harmony, all compressed into one panoramic viewing deck.

Looking out from Pinnacle, you begin to understand the why behind Singapore’s vertical ambition. With limited land, the solution isn’t just building higher—but building smarter. Pinnacle doesn’t isolate residents; it elevates them—physically and socially—through shared spaces, gardens in the sky, and access to views that many private homeowners would envy.

WOHA Architects – Inside the Minds Behind the Vertical Green

After Pinnacle, we made our way to a very special session—a visit to the office of WOHA Architects, one of Singapore’s most globally recognized architectural firms, famed for their climate-responsive and greenery-integrated buildings.

Their office was surprisingly modest in size but filled with architectural models, framed awards, and presentation boards of some of their best-known projects. What made the visit special was the briefing we received on WOHA’s design philosophy. The architects walked us through several key projects including:

• Parkroyal on Pickering – an iconic hotel that practically disappears under layers of cascading gardens and curvilinear green terraces.
• Oasia Hotel Downtown – a bright red tower wrapped in a green vertical skin, redefining how high-rise buildings can breathe.
• SkyVille @ Dawson – a public housing project focused on community, shared sky gardens, and natural ventilation.
• Kampung Admiralty – a truly mixed-use, age-integrated public development where elderly housing is stacked with healthcare, community spaces, and rooftop farms.

What struck me most during the session was how WOHA doesn’t just design buildings—they design ecosystems. Every one of their projects tries to offset urban heat, promote biodiversity, and increase social interaction. They spoke about “vertical villages” and “self-sustaining towers,” where every level offers more than just units—it offers life, light, and interaction.

As someone passionate about sustainable urbanism, WOHA’s projects aligned deeply with the kind of architecture I want to pursue—buildings that breathe, that connect, and that give back to their environment.

Reflections of the Day: What Cities Can Teach Us

As we wrapped up Day 2, walking back to Jalan Besar with sore feet and full memory cards, I couldn’t stop thinking about how integrated Singapore’s vision is—from the models at URA to the housing forms at Pinnacle, to the architectural innovation at WOHA.

It’s easy to look at cities as built forms, as rows of buildings and networks of streets. But today taught me that cities—at their best—are living organisms. They are planned with foresight, built with care, and designed to adapt. Singapore isn’t perfect, but its commitment to architecture as a public good shines through its planning, its homes, and even its rooftops.

For a student of architecture, there’s no better classroom than this city.