Have you ever thought about how Singapore’s built environment has been transformed over the years? Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to develop the buildings we see around us today? You can now learn about these and about the past, present and future of our local building and construction scene at the newly revamped BCA Gallery (Building and Construction Authority).

Located at the premises of the BCA Academy at Braddell Road, the 2-storey gallery has been expanded from a single storey showcase and now houses six different zones with multimedia and interactive features. Learn about the transformation of our built environment and how buildings are built, from conceptualisation to occupation, through the gallery's interactive displays!

At the first few zones, visitors can find out how local building marvels were developed and learn about the various productive construction technologies adopted in the local building industry

Visitors to the BCA Gallery will experience an interactive journey of Singapore's building development through the years and gain insights into BCA's role in shaping a safe, sustainable, high-quality and friendly built environment for Singapore. The four key pillars of an excellent built environment, namely, safety, quality, sustainability and friendly, are highlighted collectively in this multi-sensory treat of interactive exhibits, model showcases and pull-out panels.

The Gallery is sub-divided into three zones according to three distinct themes:

• Zone 1 - Milestones of our Built Environment

• Zone 2 - Building for Safety and Excellence 

• Zone 3 - Towards Our Vision

Open for public use since 12 July, the 400m Rail Corridor Test Track is located between Choa Chu Kang Road & Upper Bukit Timah Road and features a 100m stretch of glow-in-the-dark section. 

The test track will undergo a two-year trial to determine the best surface material for use that will make the Corridor safer and more accessible. Government agencies will evaluate the durability of the materials and gather feedback from the public. 

Four different surface materials each take up a 100m stretch: fine gravel, grass and gravel,  earth-coloured porous concrete, and natural non-toxic light green strontium aluminate minerals, which absorb ultraviolet light during the day and cause the track to emit a soft glow at night.

Behind Bukit Panjang MRT Station

Website: www.ura.gov.sg/ms/railcorridor/

Looking for something fun to do? Pop by Science Centre Singapore and visit their latest exhibitions, The Mind's Eye and Professor Crackitt's Light Fantastic: A mirror maze experience.

As part of Science Centre Singapore's 40th anniversary celebrations; 270 sqm space of the centre has been transformed into a huge and captivating mirror maze.

Created by Adrian Fisher Design, record holders of seven Guinness World Records; the maze features 105 mirror cells, with more than 17 interactive exhibits and experiments on light, plus holograms and fake exits to make for a wondrous kaleidoscope experience.

The mirror maze also doubles as a setting for an exciting escape room game.

“The Mind’s Eye” exhibition features more than 30 exhibits curated by SCS and is an exhibition of optical illusions.

Among the exhibits is one called “View With A Twist”, which showcases a wire sculpture that “transforms from an elephant into two giraffes simply by shifting the visitor’s point of view”. 

The city skyline will glimmer with a kaleidoscope of colours and spectacular lights each night with Spectra, a free-to-public outdoor light and water show displayed over the water at the Event Plaza along the promenade.

Combining an array of state-of-the-art lasers, lighting, water effects and projections, the show promises to be a multimedia extravaganza set to an orchestral soundtrack composed by award-winning local music producer Kenn C. At the heart of the performance lies a bespoke, 12-metre tall laminated glass-and-stainless-steel prism that bursts into life throughout the show.

10 Bayfront Avenue, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza

Tel: +65 6688 8868 Email: inquiries@marinabaysands.com

A scaly surprise awaits you at Singapore Zoo's newest permanent exhibit RepTopia. 

Housing an expanded range of reptiles and amphibians, crawl over for an immersive experience through desserts and tropical forest regions. 

Love them or hate them, reptiles are fascinating creatures. Discover the scaly denizens of RepTopia. Make a date with the panther chameleon, Gaboon viper and other equally amazing reptilian friends, and learn more about them through engaging activities especially rolled out for this June holiday.  

80 Mandai Lake Road

Tel: +65 6269 3411 Email: enquiry@wrs.com.sg

Say Ahoy! Singapore Maritime Gallery has reopened on 17th April 2017 after a nearly S$2 million and nine-month long makeover. 

Sail yourself into Singapore's maritime beginnings and discover how this quiet little island transformed into one of the world's leading International Maritime Centres!

Try out the Ship Bridge Simulator which is a major highlight of the gallery and be a ship captain for a day, Take the helm and pilot eight unique ships through story-driven missions.

Take on the role of a Junior Maritime Explorer. Keep the fun going for the little ones at their specially designed "Children Zone" and be occupied with different hand-on activities and interactive.

31 Marina Coastal Drive, Marina South Pier

Tel: +65 6325 5707 Email: enquiries@maritime.sg

The National Parks Board (NParks) announced plans for the development of an approximately 1 hectare Ethnobotany Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This new themed garden which should be completed by late this year, will allow visitors to learn about plants used by indigenous cultures of Southeast Asia, including Singapore. The Ethnobotany Garden, the first of its kind in Singapore, will enhance visitor experience by providing insights into the various uses of plants in the region, and strengthen the Gardens’ position as a world-class botanic garden.

Development of the Ethnobotany Garden will complement the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ UNESCO World Heritage status, supporting its Outstanding Universal Value by showcasing its unrivalled collections of economic, medicinal and ethnobotanical plants, the largest such collection in Southeast Asia. This new garden feature will also enhance the Gardens’ role as an educational provider, which is in line with UNESCO’s mission.

The Ethnobotany Garden will be set up in the Bukit Timah Core and located at an area historically known as the Economic Garden (See map in Media Factsheet). This section of the Gardens was traditionally used for experimenting with plants with potential commercial uses, many of which were first derived from traditional uses.

1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Tel: 1800-471 7300 (Toll-free) Email: nparks_public_affairs@nparks.gov.sg

Singapore's first 50m-tall bungy tower on Siloso Beach Sentosa will be opening soon. The new attraction is AJ Hackett Sentosa, a 2,500 sq m adventure playground with various features that meet different appetites for thrills.

AJ Hackett Sentosa will also be their first site globally to offer a full-time commercial vertical skywalk, which will allow visitors to walk vertically 44m down the centre shaft of the tower while supported by static ropes. This is similar to systems used by military and uniformed forces for training. The structure has other exciting components like the 47-meter high Double Bungy jump decks, Duo Giant Swings from a height of 40 meters and at a speed of over 100km/h or take in a panaoramic view of Siloso beach from their Skybridge which is 40 meters long and 50 metres above ground.