This is the Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City mall. If you look at Suntec City from above, you’ll see that the mall’s five office towers look like an open palm, with the five towers representing the five fingers. The fountain symbolizes a metal ring placed in the palm of the hand, with water flowing inwards to its center. Water is associated with wealth, representing bringing wealth in, which means accumulating and retaining riches.
This is just one example of hidden Feng Shui design in Singaporean architecture.
Why do such Feng Shui design elements exist?
The term “Feng Shui” can be directly translated as “wind and water,” and it is an ancient Chinese practice of arranging elements in an environment to achieve harmony and balance. The goal of Feng Shui is to maximize the flow of “qi” or “positive energy.” It is said that buildings or houses with good Feng Shui bring prosperity and good luck.
When property developers consult Feng Shui masters about the design and layout of their projects, they usually hope to maximize the prosperity and profitability of their shopping malls, hotels, or offices. If a building unfortunately has bad Feng Shui, it risks being plagued by “sha qi” or negative energy. Too much “sha qi” can lead to business losses or even bankruptcy. So, when building a multi-billion dollar project, why not incorporate a little good Feng Shui into the design?
Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is an excellent example. Built in 2010 at a cost of nearly 8 billion dollars, it faces the business and financial district. From a deeper Feng Shui perspective, the location of Marina Bay Sands is at the confluence of a powerful flow of positive energy, allowing it to gather immense wealth. “Qi” or “energy” flows down from the mountains and begins to circulate and gather around waterways. Marina Bay Sands is built on a waterfront location, which signifies “gathering wealth at the water.” All the water concentrates the “energy” here, preventing it from dispersing.
Another interesting example is the Singapore Flyer. It is located at the confluence of the Kallang River and the Singapore River. In the past, the Singapore Flyer rotated clockwise, which was believed to turn away “good fortune,” preventing positive energy from accumulating. It is speculated that a Feng Shui master advised it would be better for the wheel to rotate counter-clockwise, towards the Central Business District. This change in direction reversed the flow of “good fortune,” symbolizing wealth gathered by the water flowing into the financial district.
But what if a building unfortunately has bad Feng Shui? The Gateway is an office complex designed by the renowned architect I. M. Pei. Viewed from directly above, the cross-sections of the two towers are almost two-dimensional rhombuses. But from a Feng Shui perspective, their shape resembles dreaded “double-edged blades,” representing extremely bad “fortune.”
Feng Shui experts believe that circular shapes are better. Sharp, pointed shapes represent a form of negative energy.
In fact, it is said that DUO, located in front of The Gateway, was designed with a concave, curved facade to deflect and divert the clash of “sha qi” from the two blade-shaped buildings. The negative “qi” is guided by the curved facade to the exterior of the building, rather than accumulating inside.
Apparently, due to the strong field of negative energy from The Gateway, no developer has been willing to build anything near it. That’s why, to this day, the land behind and beside The Gateway remains empty.
The concept of Feng Shui design has even entered Singapore’s urban legends. There’s a rumor that a Feng Shui master was consulted during the construction of Singapore’s MRT system. Then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was told that digging tunnels underground would sever the country’s “dragon vein,” bringing bad Feng Shui to the entire nation. To counter this, the master suggested that everyone carry a small bagua (an octagonal Taoist motif). Of course, convincing everyone in Singapore to do this was impossible, so the new one-dollar coin was minted in the shape of a bagua. This might just be a coincidence, but the one-dollar coin began circulating in September 1987, just two months before the MRT system was officially launched.
Of course, this rumor has never been proven true. However, it’s still fascinating to think about the hidden Feng Shui designs in the everyday objects or buildings around us.
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