Panoramic Views of Singapore from the Pinnacle@Duxton's Rooftop Garden
- Ben
- May 3
- 3 min read
Having been to Singapore once before, I have already enjoyed many of the most popular tourist attractions. Now that I am on my second trip, I am digging a little deeper to check out some less common experiences. In that vein, on my first trip here, I visited the Marina Bay Sands' 57th floor for a brunch in the sky. The views were incredible, and I wanted to see if I could find another spot with amazing views to compare. For my love of rooftop gardens and interesting architecture, I opted to visit a housing development that has shattered records and won awards.
What is the Pinnacle@Duxton?
The Pinnacle@Duxton is a massive public housing project located in downtown Singapore, near the financial district. There are seven high-rise buildings, each one 50 stories tall, holding a total of 1,848 apartments. The complex was completed in 2009 and cost a whopping S$279 million, which is equal to around $220M USD today.
Why visit the Pinnacle@Duxton?
As I hinted, the specific reason I chose to visit these apartments is the Sky Garden, and they have two, in fact. Located on floors 26 and 50, the building's Sky Gardens connect all seven buildings! It's wild! This is an architectural masterpiece not unlike the Marina Bay Sands "boat." The 26th-floor garden is not generally available to the public, but the one on the 50th floor is, for a mere $6 entrance fee.
The views from the Pinnacle@Duxton's 50th-story Sky Garden
At 50 stories tall, the Sky Garden has incredible views. The buildings make the shape of a question mark, and the sky garden boardwalk goes around all of them. This means that you get 360-degree views of all the different parts of Singapore.
I said that the building had shattered records: its height and the sky garden are two reasons for that. First, it was recognized as the world's tallest public residential building at the time of its construction. And second, the sky garden is said to be the longest rooftop garden in the world.
And a third record for you: while the apartments were originally selling for between $200,000 - $500,000 per unit, resale values have broken the million-dollar mark, making them the most expensive public housing in Singapore.
The Sky Garden experience
From a garden perspective, the Sky Garden itself is unfortunately a bit disappointing, to be honest. When I read about it, I was imagining a full botanical garden, sort of like San Francisco's Salesforce Park or New York City's High Line. The Sky Garden is more like a well-manicured boardwalk. There are a few trees and places to sit, but it won't take you long to walk around and admire the flora.
That said, if you are just going to admire the views, the boardwalk is really nice. There are different seating areas and even a couple of places for kids to play. If you can catch a breeze, it's a really nice walk.
Should you see Singapore from Pinnacle@Duxton or Marina Bay Sands?
I think Marina Bay Sands still offers the best view of Singapore to me. It's on the water, so you get a gorgeous view of the bay as well as an unobstructed view of Singapore. The biggest drawback, however, is that the only way to get to the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands is to stay at the hotel or book a reservation at the rooftop bar or restaurant, as we did. Any of these options will be way more expensive than Pinnacle@Duxton, which was only S$6.
How to visit the Pinnacle@Duxton Sky Garden
If you are interested in checking out the Sky Garden - and again, I do recommend it on its own; it just wouldn't be my first priority if you have never been to Singapore before - here's how to do it. The Sky Garden is open from 9 am to 9 pm every day. You can take the brown or green line to Outram Park, or you can take the green line to Tanjong Pagar, which might be a touch closer. From either MRT stop, it's only a few blocks' walk to the apartment complex.
Once you get to Pinnacle@Duxton, the third-floor "Environmental Garden" is open to the public to walk around. There are some nice seating areas and a playground for kids. To buy your ticket and access the Sky Garden, you need to go to building 1G, which is the lowest part of the question mark. Once you are nearby, you should be able to find signs to the Management Office, which is where you need to go to acquire your ticket. From there, you take the elevator to the 50th floor, and you are immediately greeted by stunning views!
