Opened on 31 October 2008, the Marina Barrage turned the bay at the city’s door into Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and topped it with a lawn.
The barrage dams the 350-metre-wide Marina Channel, making the bay the country’s first reservoir in the city centre, with a 10,000-hectare catchment. It stores rainwater for drinking, relieves flooding by releasing surplus water to the sea and gives the city a calm lake for water sports. Inside, the Sustainable Singapore Gallery explains how the country manages its water; it is closed from 12 to 1 pm and on Tuesdays.
Most people come for the grassy Green Roof, open 24 hours and free, where locals picnic with the skyline in view. The whole site is smoke-free and alcohol is banned, so pack a picnic rather than a bottle. It is reached from Gardens by the Bay MRT on the Thomson-East Coast Line, or by bus 400.
