Fountain Gardens

The Dragon Fountain at the start of garden promenade sequence

'Sentosa Fountain Gardens' or simply known as the 'Fountain Gardens' was a garden promenade attraction on western Sentosa Island in Singapore which opened in 1989. ^[1] It was located in the Imbiah Lookout entertainment zone. The gardens and other features were demolished in 2007 for construction of the new Resorts World Sentosa, a large integrated style resort with new entertainment venues.

Former features

The former gardens at twilight, before the Sentosa Musical Fountain show began.

Start

The 'Fountain Gardens' promenade began at the plaza of a fountain with a sculpted dragon statue. It's spouting snout faced the former Sentosa Ferry Terminal, welcoming new arrivals. The fountain was similar to another former dragon fountain that stood where the Tiger Sky Tower (former Carlsberg Sky Tower ) now rises. ^[2]

Route

The promenade's route passed by many smaller water features and European-style gardens.

The gardens were inspired by the French formal gardens (jardin à la française ) from the era of Louis XIV. The elegant European-style gardens had over 25,000 plants, including palms, shrubs, bamboos, and vining creepers.

Walking up the steps to the highest 'Fountain Gardens' terrace, one saw a small replica of the Villa Gamberaia landscape, a renowned 17th century Italian Renaissance garden near Florence, Italy. It had a mini-stage for small performances. ^[1] The gigantic 37 metres (121 ft) Merlion Statue, representing the mascot and national personification of Singapore, was prominently seen above the promenade. ^[3]

Finish

The 'Fountain Gardens' promenade terminus was at the entry gates of the former Sentosa Musical Fountain feature, a very large musical fountain grouping of coordinated individual jets and pools. Performances of water, mist, sound, light, lasers, flames, and anatromic 'host creatures' in computer 'choreographed' programs had scheduled showtimes. The soundtrack and DVD for "Magical Sentosa" were available. ^[4]

Demolition

Part of Imbiah Lookout closed down on 26 March 2007 to make way for the Resorts World Sentosa - an integrated resort designed to draw more affluent visitors and guests.

Demolished features included

• Fountain Gardens — The garden promenade which connected the Sentosa Ferry Terminal to the Sentosa Musical Fountain. The garden plantings, accent water features, and seating areas were demolished.
• Sentosa Musical Fountain — Replaced by the Songs of the Sea show.
• Sentosa Ferry Terminal — Ferry traffic declining after private cars and vehicles were allowed on the island.
• Sentosa Monorail — Maintenance problems and costs and declining popularity led to the monorail's eventual closure and dismantling.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fountain Gardens, Sentosa.

• Index: Gardens in Singapore

References

• Travelchannel.com: Sentosa Fountain Gardens
• A Look at Singapore's Sentosa Island