3 Reasons Why You Should Drop By This Freakish Whirlpool in Singapore
This is no ordinary wishing well. This is a whirlpool. Shaped like a bowl, it is 22m wide and 5.2m deep. This two-storey high rain oculus leads the water to the canal below, inside the Marina Bay Sands mall.
Completed in 2011, this artwork saw collaboration between artist and sculptor Ned Kahn as well as architect Moshe Safdie. Besides being a rain collector, it is also a skylight feature. The collected rainwater, which emerges from the side nozzles, is sent in a downward vortex and fills a canal that runs through the atrium.
Realise that the whirlpool is always changing in shape and intensity? That’s because the pumps that direct water into the bowl are switched on and off several times every hour!
At peak flow rates, the feature can contain up to 200 tons of water and water flows through at more than 30,000 litres per minute.
Amazing, huh?
Although whirlpools have traditionally symbolised the passage between birth and death, Kahn’s intention for it is a little different. He hopes that through this Oculus, we can all “reflect on our current relationship with water and its vital connection to our lives”.
I actually see a parallel here; the Oculus is like the mouth which collects water and it streaming down to the pool which then flows to other parts of the canal is like water being transported to different parts of our bodies, which is essential for life.
Well, well, well, although it is meant to just be a rain collector, it has evolved to become a coin collector too! Make a sincere wish and throw your coin in. Believe that your wish will come true. Nah, take it with a pinch of salt. Watch how the coin swirls in circles before landing at the base of the bowl. What a beautiful dance!
Another thing — go near the rim and say something. Wait… before that, get your friend to run to the opposite end of it. Can he hear you? I’m sure he can, loud and clear. This feature will amplify your voice and only if you are directly opposite the source can you hear it at its loudest.
Never enter the Rain Oculus; it is really slippery and you will have a tough time crawling out. A too-adventurous youth set foot inside and injured himself, so don’t follow in his footsteps!
A truly unique concept it is, isn’t it? Look at the shops below and as people walk on by. You should definitely experience the Oculus’ grandeur firsthand — it’s free!
How to get there:
Rain Oculus
Address: Waterfront Promenade, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (10 Bayfront Avenue)
Operating hours: 10am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm
Nearest MRT: Bayfront MRT
Bus: 97/97E, 106, 133, 502/502A, 518/518A
