Why are Chanel and New York on a mural in Singapore

Problem

Why are the words New York on a mural in Singapore? Especially at the station Botanical Gardens? I would understand it at Changi near Changi Airport, but why here?

As soon as I saw the mural, I thought, that's what the stations need, colour - and maybe sponsorship. Not just little black and white art corners promoting local artists, worthy though that might be. Each station should have vibrant colours. Each station should be different and artwork should be seen from any part of the station and symbolise the name of the station - with a pattern, such as flowers and trees for Botainical Gardens. 

That would have solved my problem on the three occasions when I got off the train at the wrong stop, twice I jumped up and jumped off at the previous stop, roused from my reverie in learning languages on my phone through duolingo app; once when I went past to the next stop. I was very lucky to catch the last train back in the other direction. I was surprised to hear that local people also miss their own stop. Once woman admitted ruefully, smiling, that she often gets off at the wrong stop on her way to work.

So how about more visiable and recognisable stations! You could also tell children and foreign visitors, I live at the green station, or get off at the red stop.

I love this mural in the walkway linking the. Blue Downtown Line and the yellow Circle line at Botanic Gardens in Singapore. A friend told me that the mural was sponsored by Chanel. That explains the words New York and the motif of the letter C.

For Raffles station see next post.

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.