November 13, 2022
In the Central Region of Singapore, Napier Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station was opened as part of an extension of the medium-capacity Thomson-East Coast Line. This underground station is located at the junction of Napier, Holland, and Cluny Roads in the planning area of Tanglin. Napier MRT station is accessible to Singapore Botanic Gardens; Gleneagles Hospital; various embassies; and the headquarters for the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As a formal nod to its proximity to Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Napier MRT station has a garden wall that features indoor plants. In addition, a folding leaf served as the source of inspiration for the curvilinear ceiling above the station’s upper platform.
Other examples of this plant-based theme within Napier MRT station include artwork created by the National Parks Board, a semi-autonomous organization of Singapore’s Ministry of National Development. This artwork — consisting of images of plants such as gingers, legumes, and orchids — was based on the drawings of William de Alwis (1842-1916) and his brother George de Alwis (?-1887).
These brothers were artists who, as residents of what was then the island of British Ceylon (the present-day Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka), made notable contribution to botanical and zoological illustrations. A sampling of their artwork can be seen in the attached photo of Napier MRT station’s lower platform.
Photo Credit: ZKang123 (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
For more information on the Thomson-East Coast Line, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomson%E2%80%93East_Coast_Line
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