Visiting the Cataract Falls at Jewel

Being a nation short on natural beauty, Singapore has to create its own unique wonders. This indoor waterfall within a purpose-built mall, designed by Moshe Safdie and built at the staggering cost of S$1.7 billion, is a stunning example of Singapore’s idea of a sublime spectacle. I have very mixed feelings about the Cataract Falls at Jewel. The engineering skills required to create the waterfall are noteworthy: the light that pours through the latticed, glass ceiling makes the space feel cathedral-like; the overall effect is quite stunning, especially at first glance. But unlike any waterfall encountered in the wild, this one exists to attract people to a mall. Singapore wants your money and it has found a way to reward you with striking, top-notch, man-made curiosities. It’s a strange bargain, but it works, given how both locals and tourists have found the cataract worth visiting, photographing, and blogging about. Even I find myself drawn to write about it. The whole thing is just so odd and it encapsulates so much of what I feel about Singapore: how it’s so impressively cutting edge; how beautiful the waterfall is; how it seems to prioritise and promote nature (Singapore styles itself as 'a city in nature'); and yet its raison d’être is enticing people to spend money. Singapore is sometimes called ‘Singapore, Inc.’ with good reason. Even nature becomes weirdly instrumentalised here.