The most stunning architecture in Asia

Bangkok

If you think all Thai temples are traditional, elegant, gilded structures, think again. Wat Samphran, Bangkok’s ‘Dragon Temple’, is a bold yet bizarre bright pink mini skyscraper with an 80-foot-long dragon coiled around its 17-story façade. It’s a genuinely surreal piece of old-meets-new architecture that, at first sight, is hard to believe is actually a fully functioning Buddhist temple. Visitors can walk through the dragon's winding bowels up to the temple's top, passing several shrines, prayer rooms, and monks’ living quarters. Each level has different religious statues and symbolic artefacts. At the top, there are sweeping views of the city. Make some time to visit the serene landscaped gardens and small shrines surrounding the Dragon Temple, too. And in a compelling contrast, there is another Thai temple right next door in the more familiar traditional style with a glistening golden Buddha statue.

Singapore

Theatres on the Bay is an unmistakable sight on Singapore’s waterfront. Dubbed the ‘durian’ since its inception two decades ago, it’s a major arts hub housing a concert hall and theatre, as well as rehearsal rooms and various exhibition spaces. It comprises two connected silver domes featuring triangular glass and aluminium sunshades, giving it the distinctive ‘spiky’ exterior of the king of fruits. Cutting-edge art displays throughout the public indoor and outdoor areas seamlessly create an ‘art trail.’ Don’t miss the Jendela visual arts space – a sleek curved exhibition space displaying Avant Garde art and design.

Hong Kong

There is no shortage of eye-catching modernist structures punctuating the Hong Kong skyline, but none are quite as unconventional as the appropriately named Jockey Club Innovation Tower. This seemingly gravity-defying 15-storey tower is a thin, curvaceous structure comprising two different towers that seem to lean and merge into one. Designed by famed architect Zaha Hadid, it is the home of Hong Kong Polytechnic’s Design School and houses studios, lecture halls, classrooms and exhibition areas connected by walkways and intertwining ramps. It has a dazzling white facade that accentuates the sleek curves. Much of the interior space is open to the public and displays students’ work. It is by far one of the most unique, creatively designed buildings in the city.

Bali

A tour of Green School Bali will give you a newfound appreciation for the versatility of the humble bamboo tree. Nestled in the jungle beside Bali’s Ayung River, the school is almost entirely made from bamboo. Consisting of several thatched pavilions and interconnecting bamboo walkways, every aspect has an organic feel in keeping with the school’s sustainable living and learning philosophy. The Green School campus’ newest building, the Arc, is a soaring dome-like structure that serves as a community wellness space and gym. It blends a tropical rustic feel and cutting-edge geometric design. The school welcomes visitors during the week on organised tours booked in advance.

Hanoi

There are an estimated 3,000 examples of classic French colonial architecture in Hanoi, from Provencal-style villas and Gothic churches to neoclassical palaces that have become iconic public buildings. One of the must-see highlights is the Hanoi Opera House, dating from 1911. Its enormous Gothic pillars and domes are a deliberate nod to the famed Opera Garnier in Paris, so it’s no surprise this is recognised as the French Quarter’s colonial crown jewel. 

The opera house’s front hall welcomes guests with shimmering chandeliers and a stately staircase. Head upstairs to the mirror chamber, tiled with stones imported from Italy, or take in a show in the 900-seat performance auditorium featuring tall Corinthian columns and a grandiose crystal chandelier. The performance schedule includes opera, chamber music, and drama. Ninety-minute tours going behind the scenes are available during the day, including a short live stage performance.

Kuala Lumpur

The soaring Petronas Towers may be the city’s architectural icon, but Kuala Lumpur’s Old Railway Station is a tour de force of colonial ingenuity. Still a functioning rail station, the exterior is virtually unchanged from its early 20th-century heyday. The station’s striking whitewashed structure, dating back to 1910, has an incredibly complex design in the Moorish style with many intricate Gothic elements. Its onion-domed turrets and rows of horseshoe arches give it the look, feel and aura of a grandiose Sultan’s palace. Across the road is the Railway Administration Building, designed by the same architect, Arthur Benison Hubback, with a similar elegant mix of Moorish and Mughal styles.

Singapore

Singapore is not short of timeless colonial-era buildings and monuments. Yet, nowhere portrays such an intimate sense of history as the Baba House. Dating to the late 19th century, it is arguably Singapore's best-preserved Peranakan heritage home. Bequeathed to the National University of Singapore, this family home has been painstakingly restored to showcase 1920s Singaporean life, complete with original furnishings and everyday household items of the time.

An evocative time capsule of the past, it houses restored period furniture and antiques – you’ll even find original family photos adorning the walls. The exposed interior brickwork, the serene courtyard, the colourful facade and the high beamed ceilings exude a nostalgic feel. The elaborate bedrooms on the second floor have been faithfully restored in intricate detail, while the top floor of the house has been converted into a gallery and exhibition space.