Singapore 2015 - Lee Kong Chiang Natural History Museum

Not to be outdone by Shanghai - Singapore has also opened its own natural history in 2015. The Lee Kong Chiang Natural History Museum is located inside the National University Singapore compound - so it is a bit difficult to get to. However, the iconic building and the interesting displays make it worth the extra effort to get there.

The exterior of the building is shaped like an ark - but a concrete one. The imprint left on the concrete by the timber formwork creates an interesting texture and pattern on the facade. The most interesting external feature is a series of planted terraces that spill out from a cut in the building facade. This feature makes literal the concept of the design - which is a vessel holding natural treasures.

The museum can't compare with the one in Shanghai in terms of size and scale. However, it is still quite a mind-blowing collection with over 500,000 South-East Asian plant and animal specimens.

If you have a bit of time - this museum is well worth a visit - especially to see the collection on the natural history of Singapore. It will give you a much deeper insight under the sleek surface of Singapore.