October 6, 2002

11:51 PM

A Fruit Has Been Built. A unique architectural piece that pokes your senses in creative ways, is also good-humouredly called the "Durians" by local Singaporeans. Durians, or otherwise titled King of fruits, are beloved by millions of South East Asians. The spiky building, officially known as "Esplanade-theatres on the bay", started construction in 1996 and will open (flash) to the world on the 12th October 2002.
posted by taratan (12 comments total)

It happens all the time.
posted by nagrommit at 11:57 PM on October 6, 2002

Mmm. Prickly architecture! I wonder if, like the fruit, it will be considered "hell on the outside and heaven on the inside"?

nagrommit, that first photo of the Peachoid looks an awful lot like the famous North American "Assfruit", most commonly found on the grounds of college campuses and refrigerator repair training camps.
posted by taz at 12:22 AM on October 7, 2002

taz, if you're a concert goer, you will appreciate the heavenly sound in the concert hall which is acoustically designed by Russell Johnson (of NY-based Artec Consultants Inc.) one of the very best in the sound industry. They're also the acousticians for the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is the new home of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra.
Pipe organ in the esplanade concert hall is built by none other than Johannes Klais GmbH & Co. KG (Germany).

I must say the Peachoid is pretty mouth-watering !
posted by taratan at 12:53 AM on October 7, 2002

Thus, the giant overseeing volkswagon logo...
posted by delmoi at 1:27 AM on October 7, 2002

I call it "The Fly On The Bay".
posted by applesurf at 1:54 AM on October 7, 2002

Singaporean humour web site Talking Cock (no, it's not obscene), has found another photo of the Esplanade. (Ok, maybe a little obscene.)
posted by blue mustard at 4:31 AM on October 7, 2002

the esplanade complex was designed by the english firm of michael wilford and partners . . . although they only worked out the initial design. dp architects, the associate firm in singapore, did all the final design detail. wilford was originally the partner of james stirling (d. 1992) who was well known as one of the most elegant practitioners of architecture during post-modern architectural period. stirling and wilford also did the temasek polytechnic bldg in singapore (1991-1995).
posted by buffalo at 6:20 AM on October 7, 2002

A search for "durian" on Google directed me to the educational and entertaining Durian OnLine (DOL) website. I recommend.
posted by skryche at 7:19 AM on October 7, 2002

at first glance, i thought this was a post about genetically engineered food. or gay frankenstein.
posted by quonsar at 7:56 AM on October 7, 2002

Ah Durian, the only fruit that combines the smell of amonia with the taste of vomit. Truly a fruit for the fearless.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:35 AM on October 7, 2002

I knew i had seen this somewhere, it really is just a big bug
posted by NGnerd at 3:47 PM on October 7, 2002

"On first tasting it I thought it like the flesh of some animal in a state of putrefaction."


Let me tell ya, the worst mistake of my life was in buying "Darian-flavored" cookies...no wait, that was only the second worst mistake. The worst mistake was in actually attempting to eat one.

I'm too frightened to buy the actual fruit.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:56 PM on October 7, 2002