Simplistic Moments

West of Singapore is the largest region in terms of land area and host the country’s largest manufacturing hub and deep forests. While it may feel out of the way to some, the West has its share of vibrant shopping centres, neighbourhood shops, restaurants, leisure facilities and, best of all, abundant greenery making it one of the most challenging region for chasing mén.

- West

Is the West the best? East and West-siders in Singapore often debate on which region trumps the other. While the East boasts multiple beaches and endless food options, the West is more well-known for its industrial landscape and inaccessibility from the rest of the country. However, the West is also home to two of Singapore’s largest universities, numerous nature reserves and a growing number of both residential and commercial amenities. Following this trajectory, Jurong, Clementi, Pioneer and Boon Lay are the underdogs primed to become bustling neighbourhoods for a new generation.

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featured doors

Kingdom of Times

Intricately carved wooden doors of this Hindu temple bear the markings of sacred symbols and deities. Just as worshippers enter through these doors for prayer, temple doors offer a bridge between the corporeal and spiritual. More doors await inside the temple itself, each uniquely detailed but tied together in their common purpose of illustrating and enshrining the divine.

Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple

The Giant Paw

A tiger paw of mythical proportions welcomes guests at Haw Par Villa, an eclectic amusement park home to hundreds of statues and dioramas drawn directly from Chinese folklore. Originally built in 1937, the newest addition to this park includes a fully air-conditioned reconstruction of the Ten Courts of Hell. Enter if you dare.

Haw Par Villa

The Great Mosque

Masjid Hussain Sulaiman has faithfully served the Pasir Panjang community since 1902. Originally built as a surau, an Islamic place of worship popular across the Malay Peninsula, it retains much of its historical architectural form and timber structure. Its striking red doors pop against the more commonly green hues of its roof and windows.

Masjid Hussain Sulaiman, 394, Pasir Panjang Road

Lonesome Outpost

Lookout towers are a remnant of Singapore’s early independence years in the sixties and seventies. Their high vantage point attracted lovebirds and government officials alike to survey the city’s changing landscape. Abandoned towers such as this one in Pasir Panjang are spread all over the island’s coastal lines. Now a favourite of urban explorers, their locked doors promise panoramic views from these lone bastions of yesteryear.

Abandoned tower lookout on the way to Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Alien Kite

Nestled within the growing technological hub of one-north, this door sports gridlike tiles that are found in places from hospitals to train stations. Its pedestrian pattern may often be overlooked in favour of more decorative tiles, but the very frequency of this style speaks to a utilitarian and structured quality belying the nation’s ethos.

One North, Biomedical Grove