Circle Line's 3 new stations feature unique architectural elements, artworks by local artists

The completion of the Circle Line is just around the corner, and the final three stations between HarbourFront and Marina Bay — Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward — will soon open for passenger service on July 12.

The completed Circle Line will span 39km and comprise 33 stations, with 12 interchange stations connecting commuters to all existing MRT lines. 

It promises time savings for commuters too. Today, a commuter travelling by train from Telok Blangah to Marina Bay will need two transfers. The same journey will no longer require any transfers, saving around 10 minutes of travel time, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Each of the new MRT stations will also feature unique architectural elements and artworks by local artists. 

This is part of a shift in recent years, where architecture and public artwork at MRT stations increasingly reflect the culture of its surroundings.

@asiaone The Circle Line 6 - Keppel, Cantonment, and Prince Edward Road MRT stations - will commence operations on July 12, and is set for a public preview on July 4. Still deciding? Here's a preview! #sgnews #Singapore #MRT #CCL #Heritage #History #Art #Architecture ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

CC30 Keppel Station

Keppel Station is a 20-metre-deep underground station located along Keppel Road.

It is designed to serve nearby business hubs and future developments within the Greater Southern Waterfront. 

The station has three entrances, with a 24-hour underpass linking entrances one and two. 

It will have skylights and hybrid fans to enhance natural lighting and ventilation, with ventilation shafts inspired by cable cars. Green roofs help to improve thermal comfort and reduce heat as well. 

Keppel Station is also the only one along the line to include an underground bicycle park, which will have 312 parking lots.

The station's architecture draws inspiration from the energy and industrial character of nearby Keppel Harbour.

Sustainable materials such as glass fibre reinforced concrete are used to reduce maintenance requirements. 

Commuters can also look out for Uncontainable Dreams, an artwork by Kenneth Koh — a registered architect and a partner at an architectural practice — that draws inspiration from the history and evolving identity of Keppel Harbour.

The artwork, which is drawn by hand, is composed using a one-point perspective.

It features floating "shipping containers", each encapsulating a distinct aspect of Keppel's past, such as coal sheds, mangroves and bakau poles once used in kelongs.

Abstract futuristic mechanical creatures that are framed by the historical Dragon's Tooth rock — a natural granite outcrop located at the Western entrance of Keppel Harbour — traverse the foreground, referencing the iconic crane structures that define the container port's silhouette.

Kenneth, who has produced other murals in Little India and Bras Basah, also weaves a poem directly into the composition, prompting viewers to imagine Singapore as a city constructed from the cargo of distant lands.

CC31 Cantonment Station

Cantonment Station is a 28-metre-deep underground station located beneath the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station area.

It will serve Everton, Spottiswoode Park and Cantonment, and will have four entrances providing access to residential estates, heritage sites and cultural landmarks. This includes Tanjong Pagar Distripark, where the Singapore Art Museum is located.

The station has architectural elements that reflect both the past and present, drawing from the original structure of the former railway station.

Commuters will notice curved walls, a distinctive curved roofline and 'stained glass'-inspired elements. There will also be a clock feature, designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Cantonment Station's artwork, The Journey Between, is by Han Sai Por, a leading Asian modern sculptor and recipient of Singapore's Cultural Medallion.

Her installation started as small clay pieces, hand-sculpted at 1:200 scale. These clay pieces were then scanned and carefully translated into the artwork's final form. 

The piece is designed to reflect both the pace of modern life and the stillness found within it, where journeys converge and diverge.

It features flowing lines and glimmers of light that represent Cantonment's history along the city's former coastline.

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CC32 Prince Edward Road Station 

Prince Edward Road Station is a 30-metre-deep underground station located within the Shenton Way area. It is designed to serve office workers, residents and visitors in the Central Business District.

The station has two entrances, with entrance one directly connected to 78 Shenton, and entrance two providing access to nearby places of worship, as well as a covered linkway to the nearest bus stop.

Due to spatial constraints between the Keppel Viaduct and surrounding high-rise developments, the station has stacked tunnels and platforms. 

The upper platform serves trains towards Marina Bay (anticlockwise), while the lower platform serves trains towards HarbourFront (clockwise).

Its architecture features clear sightlines, accessibility through lifts and escalators, and design elements such as ship hull forms and wave-like ceilings. The station also has a baby care room within the paid area at the concourse level.

Prince Edward Road Station's design pays tribute to Singapore's maritime history, drawing inspiration from the former waterfront and seafaring communities that shaped the area.

Commuters can check out Doppler, an artwork by Gerald Leow, a self-taught visual artist and designer known for his sculptures and installations.

The piece, which is inspired by the phenomenon known as the Doppler effect, explores how the perceived frequency of a sound changes as its source moves closer to or farther away from an observer. 

Doppler is crafted from steel that is fabricated under intense heat. Under such conditions, the material begins to reflect light differently and transforms into a spectrum of iridescent colours. Each shade, from deep blue to vibrant green and purple, is formed at a specific temperature. 

The artwork's spiralling form also draws inspiration from the propeller, a common sight in the port landscape around Prince Edward Road. 

Similar to how the Doppler effect alters our perception of sound through movement, the sculpture invites commuters to experience shifting perspectives as they move around it. 

Keen on checking out the architecture and art for yourself? LTA had earlier announced that Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road stations will be open for a public preview from 9.30am to 9pm on July 4.

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