Skywalk challenge at The Pinnacle

After having my rounds for souvenir items along Pagoda Street, I still have the rest of the afternoon to spare on a lazy Sunday. This is the perfect opportunity to have the time on my own while my boss has not arrived yet and before we start hitting the road for business the following day.

One of the spots that I learned is worth walking to in Chinatown is The Pinnacle @ Duxton.

The Pinnacle@Duxton is a 50-storey residential development in Singapore's city center, next to the business district.[1] The project features the world's two longest sky gardens of 500 metres (1,600 ft) each, on both the 26th and 50th floors. All seven connected towers are collectively the world's tallest public residential buildings.

From Pagoda Street out to New Bridge Road, I walked to the left which I did not bother to know which direction it was on the compass. Since I was on my own, I was taking time and was taking photos of here and there. It was August and I have seen Singapore flags almost everywhere. New Bridge Road is also decorated with colors which tells me they recently had festivities. I learned later that they celebrated their national Singapore day about a couple of weeks ago.

At the corner of Teo Hong Road, I turned left again and came to a crossroad with Bukit Pasoh Road after few meters of walking. Two towers of The Pinnacle are very vissible from that spot. The buildings look majestic towering over the city. That will make anyone wonder how it looks and feels from the top.

At the end of Bukit Pasoh Road is crossing with Neil Road and right across that is The Pinnacle. It is like a super giant towering over me. My phone can not capture its whole height, I had to do vertical panoramic shot to take this photo.

I crossed Neil Road, climbed a stairway and found myself at the foot of one of the towers. Just nearby to the right is another tower. I did not know which tower it was and which side of the whole facility I was. There was not a soul to ask. I made few rounds and came to a passage to get out to the other side of the tower where I was. I got through and came to a view of another tower to the left. Tower C. That means I got out of Tower B and the one on the right is Tower A. Off to find Tower G...

Why Tower G? That is the only building where the entrance and lift to the top is allowed. Instead of directly passing by towers C to F, I made few rounds when I got into a mini-park and that totally got me lost. It was fortunate that a lady passed by so I asked the way to Tower G. When I reached the building, I had to go around as there was no entrance on the side where I was. I finally felt relieved when I saw this.

On the wall to my left was this notice that directs visitors to pay and get the access card to 50th floor.

I followed the arrow and saw this another notice and direction on where to get the access card.

I followed this last arrow and ended up to where I saw the first one. There was no MA office or something that looks like an office anywhere. I was just circling the elevator room.

I made the same rounds and read the same direction notices on each round but I was just going in circles. I do not know how many times I made the rounds. I just knew I was already getting desperate as I felt my feet starting to ache. Then I looked up above the elevator door. 3. I was on the third level! What the heck? I went out to the open, looked down to a road in front, looked to my right where I came from and realized, what a darn! I did not notice that the area where I came from was elevated and I was on level with the third floor. To keep the story short, I had to go down the first floor to buy my access card. Finally, I found this very elusive MA office. I later found out that the road in front of Tower G is Cantonment Road.

Seriously, my feet started to ache for just trying the to find the MA office. That was one kind of a walk challenge, yeah?

The entrance to the sky garden is the spike-type turnstile with card reader. This is where the SG $ 6.00 access card will be used.

With the many tall buildings around, it did not look like I was at the 50th floor when I stepped out into the open and looked at eye level.

It was the same feeling that it seems I was on ground level when I looked around. It was like walking in a park with the well maintained flower beds.

Of course, the sky walk will not be complete without looking down. It is the only way to realize that you are on the 50th floor.

Again, I did not know which area is which direction but I suppose this is the harbour front.

There is literally a park in the sky. Again, it looks like a regular park only that it is almost empty. Only few visitors were stopping by for the photo shoot and I guess that is what makes the sky walk special - absence of the crowd. If I remember it right, this part is in the bridge between tower D and E.

Moving on, I came to two guys under cherry trees. Yes, trees in the sky. One guy was reaching way up high with a stick and something on the tip. He was trimming the trees while the other guy just sits and talks on the bench. I asked the working guy if I can take his photo and he said no so I dropped the angle of my phone.

I passed by the guys and traverse through the other side of the building. These towers A and B came into view. I thought it was from tower E.

Pass the tower where I was standing is this another park with sun bathing chairs and that blue on the background that look like a pool. I wonder if anyone, including the residents of the towers, would really come here to sun bath.

I tried to get a shot of towers A and B from top down to the foot but I can not because of the railings that are blocking a clear angle. Even a vertical panoramic shot does not work. That made me check the railings and realized that there are two lines, a steel railing and concrete fence, which are fairly away from each other. I think the gap is about two meters wide, or even wider. That is a very good safety measure to ensure double safety fences. If anyone falls from the tower then it can not be accidental with these solid safe guards.

One thing that did not escape my eyes is the fact that the flowers in the sky are orange. Recall that bed of orange heliconias on the photo above. And now this. I wonder what orange is all about.

Then I saw these dark orange roofs, or maybe red, when I crossed to the other side of tower B. They reminded me of the houses in Japan which has almost the same colors. Earth colors. One of my friends was saying that is because of being environmental friendly. This is my second time seeing pool of houses in the same shade. I wonder if they have the same reason as that in Japan.

This time, I know this area is where I came walking from. Chinatown.

Another turn and I got another view of the harbour front. That means I am about to make a real U-turn. I am now on tower A.

Indeed I was on tower A. I confirmed that when I turned and saw this outdoor furnitures and there is no more way to go farther but to make a U-turn towards that rail on the other end. Those are towers F and G on the background.

The round led me to this very cool shed. It is not visible on the photo but there is a water supply under the shed that makes the scene lovely to cool off. I forgot to mention that I felt like being fried up there at around five o'clock in the afternoon. The sun was still high and strong. Seeing water supply at this case is like seeing oasis.

Back to the park pool that I passed by earlier but from another side, I smiled to myself with what I discovered. If the "pool" is not literally touching the railing, it can be easily be thought as a real pool. Or would you be able to say that it is just paint on the ground?

There is no pathway on the same side where I was to pass by the pool park so I crossed it and came back to where I first took the photo. This another angle of the harbour front came into view. I thought it looks grander this time.

More walks and I was back on top of tower G. I did not notice the outdoor furnitures at first because I immediately turned right from the sky walk entrance. These was to the left which I reached only now. That red building on the background is the one that greeted my view earlier.

When I got out of the sky park and back to the elevator area was when I paid more attention to the house rules. I know. I should have paid more attention from the start. I guess I was just so excited to get inside the sky park.

Not including my hide and seek to find the MA office, I started the walk at few minutes before five o'clock in the afternoon. Now it is few minutes after six. More than an hour exercise for less than 500 meters walk was a good one. I had enough exercise to give me a good sleep for the night.

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