May 14, 2023 • 11 mins
Did you know that Marina Bay used to be nothing but open sea? Its transformation over the decades into a vibrant financial, entertainment and community hub has been nothing short of remarkable! Learn about Marina Bay’s transformation over the years and discover historical trivia about DBS and iconic waterfront landmarks on this special audio addition to the DBS Sailing at the Bay programme.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome on board DBS Sailing at the Bay.
Take a look all around you, breathe in the scent
of the water, and observe the beautiful juxtaposition of past
and present. The towering skyscrapers of glass, concrete and steel,
(00:29):
standing tall alongside historic buildings of yesteryears.
Now, face the twin domes of the Esplanade Theatres by
the Bay and soak up the sites in a clockwise direction,
from the white, sloped facade of Park Royal Collection Hotel
and the iconic Marina Bay Sands, to the glittering blue
(00:51):
glass facade of the Marina Bay Financial Centre, where the
headquarters of Singapore's and Southeast Asia's largest bank, DBS Bank,
is located.
It moved here in 2012 after 38 years in its
historic 50-storey Shenton Way headquarters, once Singapore's tallest building.
(01:16):
But just imagine, before land reclamation work started in the 1970s,
all this used to be open sea, dotted with vessels
like sampans, bumboats and ferries brimming with cargo and passengers
headed for nearby islands and beyond.
Look in the direction of Customs House, where we departed from.
(01:41):
Can you spot an elegant building with white arch trusses
and an orange roof to its right? Now part of
Fullerton Bay Hotel, this used to be Clifford Pier. It
was built in the 1930s as a landing point along
Collyer Quay, a front door to the city for sea
passengers and cargo.
(02:02):
It was a bustling street with horse carriages and rickshaws,
ferrying goods and people from the docks to the commercial
centre against the backdrop of grand neoclassical buildings. And the
skyline behind the pier is Singapore's Central Business District. Fun fact -
the tallest skyscrapers here are 280 Metres. That's the country's
(02:26):
building height limit due to air traffic control restrictions.
Although most of the buildings here emerged post independence, it
is in fact the oldest part of the bay and
historically part of Singapore's commercial area since the 1800s. This
is because of its proximity to the mouth of the
(02:47):
Singapore River, a harbour where ships would dock to unload
their goods. The river isn't visible from here, but you
can find it located just beyond the Fullerton Hotel, which
is on the right of Fullerton Bay Hotel.
See if you can spot the tower with the round
(03:07):
top to the left of Clifford Pier. That was the
former Change Alley Aerial Plaza. It used to be a
shopping complex with an overhead walkway that led to Raffles Place,
which is located behind the row of skyscrapers along Collyer Quay.
Raffles Place was designated as a business hub as early
(03:28):
as the 1820s, where merchants and ship captains would flock
to for news, business intelligence and gossip. Household name department
stores like Robinsons and John Little both started out here,
along with well patronised businesses like textiler Gian Singh and
the Honeyland Milk Bar.
(03:49):
But as a bustling commercial emporium, Raffles Place was unfortunately
one of the first civilian targets of Japanese air raids
during the Second World War in 1941 along with Chinatown
and Keppel Harbour. Mr Abdealli Motiwalla, whose family owned a
business in the area at the time, shared this memory
(04:10):
with the National Archives of Singapore.
And here's a quote
in the morning, four o'clock where we were living nearby
our shop near Cecil Street. There was such a big
commotion that we were not able to see anything but dust.
When we looked out of the window, we ran to
the shop and could not see it because it was dark.
(04:33):
So we had to wait outside. The glass in the
whole of Raffles Place was broken by the vibration and
our shop front had come down because of the planks.
We waited outside till morning.A bomb had fallen near our place,
and that one bomb could cause so much damage to
the whole of Raffles Place." End quote.
(04:59):
In the post war years, the first high rise buildings
were constructed along the waterfront at Collar Quay. Land became
more valuable and Singapore's commercial role evolved. Magdalene Boon shares this
memory of the sights and sounds along Collyer Quay, from the Singapore
River Walk Companion Guide by the National Heritage Board.
(05:20):
And here's a quote
watching the embarking and disembarking of human flotsam and jetsam
from the ever busy sampans and motor launches was the
highlight of the week for me. I loved the smell
of the sea and listening to all the foreign tongues wagging."
(05:41):
End quote.
Did you know that Clifford Pier continued to serve as
an active landing point for boats coming from sea all
the way till the mid-2000s? The last seafaring boat sailed
off in 2006.
Now look towards the direction of the Merlion and let's
(06:05):
turn our attention to Fullerton Hotel. It used to be
called the Fullerton Building, and before that it served as
the General Post Office which housed government departments like the
Ministry of Finance and the Economic Development Board, or EDB.
In fact, the EDB, which was formed to oversee Singapore's industrialisation,
(06:28):
held its very first meeting here. And from the EDB,
the Development Bank of Singapore, better known as DBS was
born in 1968 to play a pioneering role in financing
nascent industries and developing the young nation. Mr Hon Sui Sen,
EDB's first chairman, together with other officers like Mr S.
(06:52):
Dhanabalan led the newly formed bank. Singapore's founding father and
first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said this in 1994
about the pioneering spirit of those early days.
And here's a quote
sprang DBS, because we had to build up the finances
(07:13):
to help people start their industries. This is not administration
doing a job. This is entrepreneurship on a political stage,
on a national scale. We changed the complexion of Singapore."
End quote.
By the early 2000s, the first glimpses of today's Marina Bay
(07:36):
were seen with the completion of popular luxury hotels, shopping
malls like Suntec City and Marina Square, the iconic Singapore
Flyer and developments like Millenia Tower. That's the concrete skyscraper with
the massive pyramidal roof.
It was also around this time that the durian, also
(07:57):
known as the Esplanade, rolled onto the bay with its
two glass domes fitted with over 7000 triangular aluminium sunshades.
It was opened as a national performing arts centre, a
space for people to come together and celebrate the power
of music, dance and so much more.
(08:20):
And as part of ongoing efforts to bring more vitality
and excitement to the bay, DBS partnered the Esplanade in 2023
donating $3.5 million in support of a range of free
programmes at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre, which is the stage
with the white tent like structure.
(08:42):
If you turn your attention to just behind the Esplanade,
you can see the former 73-storey Westin Stamford, now known
as Swissotel Stamford. It is part of Raffles City, which
DBS built and financed. With its aluminum and glass facade,
Raffles City might look quite at home today, but when
(09:05):
it was first opened in 1986, it was far ahead
of its time as the single largest commercial development in Singapore.
In the 2010s, Marina Bay flourished with the addition of
the Helix Bridge and Singapore's biggest hotel and integrated resort,
(09:26):
Marina Bay Sands. And that's in front of you. Take
a closer look at its three towers.
Did you know that their design was influenced by a
deck of cards where two cards lean against each other
to form a house of cards? And can you tell
that the towers are slanted to a precise angle of
(09:47):
26 degrees? And that's because the individual digits of two
and six add up to eight, a lucky number in
Chinese culture.
Look at the sky park on top of the towers.
That design was inspired by the belief that asymmetrical structures
are better for Feng Shui.
(10:08):
In 2013, the Marina Bay Financial Centre emerged as the
heart of Singapore's new financial downtown in Marina South, cementing
Singapore status as a global business hub and bringing to
life an ambitious vision after decades in the making.
It is a reminder that with hard work, dedication and
(10:30):
a willingness to dream big, anything is possible. Let us
continue to envision and build a better world while preserving
the rich history that has brought us to where we
are today.
We hope that you enjoyed this brief history of the Bay,
a special audio edition to the DBS Sailing at the
(10:51):
Bay programme to bring vibrancy to the community.
Welcome on board DBS Sailing at the Bay.
Take a look all around you, breathe in the scent
of the water, and observe the beautiful juxtaposition of past
and present. The towering skyscrapers of glass, concrete and steel,
(00:29):
standing tall alongside historic buildings of yesteryears.
Now, face the twin domes of the Esplanade Theatres by
the Bay and soak up the sites in a clockwise direction,
from the white, sloped facade of Park Royal Collection Hotel
and the iconic Marina Bay Sands, to the glittering blue
(00:51):
glass facade of the Marina Bay Financial Centre, where the
headquarters of Singapore's and Southeast Asia's largest bank, DBS Bank,
is located.
It moved here in 2012 after 38 years in its
historic 50-storey Shenton Way headquarters, once Singapore's tallest building.
(01:16):
But just imagine, before land reclamation work started in the 1970s,
all this used to be open sea, dotted with vessels
like sampans, bumboats and ferries brimming with cargo and passengers
headed for nearby islands and beyond.
Look in the direction of Customs House, where we departed from.
(01:41):
Can you spot an elegant building with white arch trusses
and an orange roof to its right? Now part of
Fullerton Bay Hotel, this used to be Clifford Pier. It
was built in the 1930s as a landing point along
Collyer Quay, a front door to the city for sea
passengers and cargo.
(02:02):
It was a bustling street with horse carriages and rickshaws,
ferrying goods and people from the docks to the commercial
centre against the backdrop of grand neoclassical buildings. And the
skyline behind the pier is Singapore's Central Business District. Fun fact -
the tallest skyscrapers here are 280 Metres. That's the country's
(02:26):
building height limit due to air traffic control restrictions.
Although most of the buildings here emerged post independence, it
is in fact the oldest part of the bay and
historically part of Singapore's commercial area since the 1800s. This
is because of its proximity to the mouth of the
(02:47):
Singapore River, a harbour where ships would dock to unload
their goods. The river isn't visible from here, but you
can find it located just beyond the Fullerton Hotel, which
is on the right of Fullerton Bay Hotel.
See if you can spot the tower with the round
(03:07):
top to the left of Clifford Pier. That was the
former Change Alley Aerial Plaza. It used to be a
shopping complex with an overhead walkway that led to Raffles Place,
which is located behind the row of skyscrapers along Collyer Quay.
Raffles Place was designated as a business hub as early
(03:28):
as the 1820s, where merchants and ship captains would flock
to for news, business intelligence and gossip. Household name department
stores like Robinsons and John Little both started out here,
along with well patronised businesses like textiler Gian Singh and
the Honeyland Milk Bar.
(03:49):
But as a bustling commercial emporium, Raffles Place was unfortunately
one of the first civilian targets of Japanese air raids
during the Second World War in 1941 along with Chinatown
and Keppel Harbour. Mr Abdealli Motiwalla, whose family owned a
business in the area at the time, shared this memory
(04:10):
with the National Archives of Singapore.
And here's a quote
in the morning, four o'clock where we were living nearby
our shop near Cecil Street. There was such a big
commotion that we were not able to see anything but dust.
When we looked out of the window, we ran to
the shop and could not see it because it was dark.
(04:33):
So we had to wait outside. The glass in the
whole of Raffles Place was broken by the vibration and
our shop front had come down because of the planks.
We waited outside till morning.A bomb had fallen near our place,
and that one bomb could cause so much damage to
the whole of Raffles Place." End quote.
(04:59):
In the post war years, the first high rise buildings
were constructed along the waterfront at Collar Quay. Land became
more valuable and Singapore's commercial role evolved. Magdalene Boon shares this
memory of the sights and sounds along Collyer Quay, from the Singapore
River Walk Companion Guide by the National Heritage Board.
(05:20):
And here's a quote
watching the embarking and disembarking of human flotsam and jetsam
from the ever busy sampans and motor launches was the
highlight of the week for me. I loved the smell
of the sea and listening to all the foreign tongues wagging."
(05:41):
End quote.
Did you know that Clifford Pier continued to serve as
an active landing point for boats coming from sea all
the way till the mid-2000s? The last seafaring boat sailed
off in 2006.
Now look towards the direction of the Merlion and let's
(06:05):
turn our attention to Fullerton Hotel. It used to be
called the Fullerton Building, and before that it served as
the General Post Office which housed government departments like the
Ministry of Finance and the Economic Development Board, or EDB.
In fact, the EDB, which was formed to oversee Singapore's industrialisation,
(06:28):
held its very first meeting here. And from the EDB,
the Development Bank of Singapore, better known as DBS was
born in 1968 to play a pioneering role in financing
nascent industries and developing the young nation. Mr Hon Sui Sen,
EDB's first chairman, together with other officers like Mr S.
(06:52):
Dhanabalan led the newly formed bank. Singapore's founding father and
first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said this in 1994
about the pioneering spirit of those early days.
And here's a quote
sprang DBS, because we had to build up the finances
(07:13):
to help people start their industries. This is not administration
doing a job. This is entrepreneurship on a political stage,
on a national scale. We changed the complexion of Singapore."
End quote.
By the early 2000s, the first glimpses of today's Marina Bay
(07:36):
were seen with the completion of popular luxury hotels, shopping
malls like Suntec City and Marina Square, the iconic Singapore
Flyer and developments like Millenia Tower. That's the concrete skyscraper with
the massive pyramidal roof.
It was also around this time that the durian, also
(07:57):
known as the Esplanade, rolled onto the bay with its
two glass domes fitted with over 7000 triangular aluminium sunshades.
It was opened as a national performing arts centre, a
space for people to come together and celebrate the power
of music, dance and so much more.
(08:20):
And as part of ongoing efforts to bring more vitality
and excitement to the bay, DBS partnered the Esplanade in 2023
donating $3.5 million in support of a range of free
programmes at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre, which is the stage
with the white tent like structure.
(08:42):
If you turn your attention to just behind the Esplanade,
you can see the former 73-storey Westin Stamford, now known
as Swissotel Stamford. It is part of Raffles City, which
DBS built and financed. With its aluminum and glass facade,
Raffles City might look quite at home today, but when
(09:05):
it was first opened in 1986, it was far ahead
of its time as the single largest commercial development in Singapore.
In the 2010s, Marina Bay flourished with the addition of
the Helix Bridge and Singapore's biggest hotel and integrated resort,
(09:26):
Marina Bay Sands. And that's in front of you. Take
a closer look at its three towers.
Did you know that their design was influenced by a
deck of cards where two cards lean against each other
to form a house of cards? And can you tell
that the towers are slanted to a precise angle of
(09:47):
26 degrees? And that's because the individual digits of two
and six add up to eight, a lucky number in
Chinese culture.
Look at the sky park on top of the towers.
That design was inspired by the belief that asymmetrical structures
are better for Feng Shui.
(10:08):
In 2013, the Marina Bay Financial Centre emerged as the
heart of Singapore's new financial downtown in Marina South, cementing
Singapore status as a global business hub and bringing to
life an ambitious vision after decades in the making.
It is a reminder that with hard work, dedication and
(10:30):
a willingness to dream big, anything is possible. Let us
continue to envision and build a better world while preserving
the rich history that has brought us to where we
are today.
We hope that you enjoyed this brief history of the Bay,
a special audio edition to the DBS Sailing at the
(10:51):
Bay programme to bring vibrancy to the community.
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