Posted on 14.12.2011 and completed on 22.07.2013
In these two postcards is The Downtown Core of Singapore, which surrounds the mouth of the Singapore River and southeastern portion of its watershed, and is part of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. In forefront of the first postcard is seen the Merlion statue (8.6m hight and 70t weight), made by Lim Nang Seng in 1972, but placed in Merlion Park, where it’s now, barely in 2002. Designed by Fraser Brunner in 1964 for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board, this symbol of Singapore is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Its body is made of cement, skin from porcelain plates and eyes from small red teacups.
Right in back in the first postcard (the building with columns), but also in the second postcard, is the Fullerton Hotel, whose the northern end covers the site of Fort Fullerton. Commissioned in 1919 as part of the Crown colony's centennial celebrations, the building was designed as an office building by Major P.H. Keys of Keys & Dowdeswell, a Shanghai firm of architects, and was opened in 1928. Initially, General Post Office covered the two lower floors (until 1996), and the exclusive Singapore Club rented premises on the upper floors (until 1961). In the WWII the building was the one in which General Percival discussed with Sir Shenton the possibility of surrendering Singapore, and subsequently became the headquarters of the Japanese Military Administration. In 1997, Sino Land (Hong Kong) Company Ltd acquired the Fullerton Building and converted it into a hotel, officially opened in 2001.
The highest six buildings that are visible in the back in the first postcardare (from left to right):
• Hitachi Tower (179m with the spire on the top) - completed in 1992
• Republic Plaza (280m) - completed in 1995
• Singapore Land Tower (190m) - completed in 1980
• One Raffles Place (280m) - completed in 1986
• Maybank Tower (175m) - completed in 2001
• United Overseas Bank Plaza / UOB Plaza (280m) - completed in 1995
Republic Plaza, One Raffles Place and UOB Plaza are the highest skyscrapers from Singapore (to equality).
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