Architectural Photography at Caldecott MRT Station... Exploring What Lies Underground
I’m not really sure what motivated me last night, but somehow I ended up doing a quick architectural photography session at Caldecott MRT Station. Maybe it was simply because I noticed how interesting the station looked and thought, why not take out my camera and explore it properly?
Sometimes, the most unexpected photography sessions turn out to be the most enjoyable ones.
Nowadays, many of Singapore’s newer MRT stations have fairly simple-looking exteriors. You could easily walk past some of them without realizing just how impressive the architecture becomes once you head underground. Caldecott MRT Station is a perfect example of that.
As I wandered around the station, I became fascinated by its sense of depth. The Thomson-East Coast Line section goes incredibly deep underground, and travelling between the different levels really makes you appreciate the scale of the place. It almost feels like entering an underground building rather than simply going down to an MRT platform.
And then there are the escalators.
They just keep going down... and down... and down. LOL!
Standing at the top and looking toward the bottom created one of my favorite perspectives during this photography session. The long lines of the escalators naturally lead your eyes into the photograph, while the people riding them give you a better idea of just how massive the interior actually is.
The architecture itself is very modern, but I like that it doesn’t feel plain. There are oval-shaped openings and skylights above, together with curved ceilings and repeating lines throughout the station. During daytime, the skylights allow natural light to enter parts of the interior. Unfortunately, I visited at night, so I couldn’t photograph their full effect. Maybe that gives me another reason to return someday!
As I descended further underground, another feature caught my attention: those enormous X-shaped structural beams spanning across the station.
I’m not an architect or engineer, so I won’t pretend that I know the technical name for them LOL. But they certainly look like they serve an important structural purpose rather than simply being decorative. What I love is how something that appears necessary for engineering can also become one of the most interesting visual elements of the entire station.
From a photography perspective, they were amazing.
The beams, escalators, patterned walls, reflective surfaces and multiple levels gave me plenty of opportunities to experiment with symmetry, leading lines and different angles. I especially enjoyed looking downward from the upper levels because the station suddenly appeared much larger than what you normally notice when you’re simply rushing to catch a train.
That is probably what I enjoy most about architectural photography. It makes me stop and appreciate places that I would normally treat as ordinary parts of everyday life.
Overall, I really like the ambience of Caldecott MRT Station. Despite being spacious and incredibly deep, it never felt overwhelming. Moving between the different levels was convenient, and I enjoyed taking my time observing all the little architectural details along the way.
Singapore’s MRT stations are places that many of us pass through every day, but sometimes there is more beauty hiding underground than we realize. All we need to do is slow down, look around, and perhaps take a few photos.