Thinking of escaping tropical Singapore for a while? Head down to 2Degree Ice Art, the ice sculpture exhibition being held beside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel from 20 November 2013 to 15 May 2014 for a wintery experience during the December school holidays 2013.
Filled with sculptures carved out of more than 450 tons of crystal-clear and coloured ice blocks, this exhibition occupies more than 50,000 square feet of space at the intersection of Sheares Link and Bayfront Avenue.
25 top ice carvers from Harbin, China created the ice sculptures which feature famous landmarks from across the globe. These sculptures are kept at a chilly zero to minus 15 degrees – cold enough to create the “smoke effect” by breathing out.
Ice Ice Everywhere
The first section of ice sculptures is decidedly local. Sir Stamford Raffles and his namesake hotel greet visitors upon entering the ice hall. Other familiar landmarks in this first section include the Sultan Mosque and the Merlion.
Throughout the exhibition hall, sculptures are lit by “neonish” LEDs and the colourful bright colours glisten and dance through the ice blocks.
As you venture further into the hall, other famous landmarks greet you. Captured in ice are colourful versions of the Eiffel Tower, Karaweik Palace, the Statue of Liberty and many more. Exhibits can reach as high as four metres and there are spanning archways of ice you can walk under.
Each exhibit has a signboard explaining more about the place represented.
Children’s Ice Playground
At the far end of the hall, head under the ice castle ramparts to arrive at the children’s ice playground. Stairs on either side lead up to the slides. There are three in total – two ice slides and a broader centre slope.
Even though the two ice slides are made of (ahem), ice, they aren’t very slippery at all. It takes a bit a nudging to make it down the gradient and it is only at the very end of the ice slide does gravity finally take over.
The main snow tire ride is similar to what can be found at Snow City, only a lot shorter. Kids will love sliding down this slope and what makes it more exciting is a little bump about three-quarters of the way down which momentarily lifts the rider into the air.
Exhibition staff are on hand at the slide to retrieve the snow tires to the top of the slope. Hence, children can dash straight back to the top of the slope without having to haul the tires back up the slope.
Families with young children will probably end up spending the most time at the children’s ice playground with the kids wanting to take the slides over and over again.
Past the children’s ice playground is the back stretch of the exhibition. Here, there are more themed areas such as an Egyptian themed section, a Chinese-themed section with a Nine Dragon Wall made of coloured ice bricks and “ice aged” dinosaurs.
Little Day Out’s 10 Tips for a Visit to 2Degree Ice Art Exhibition
1. Bring your own coats. With the sub-zero temperature in the exhibition hall, dress in long pants and bring along a warm, thick coat, preferably one with a hood. If your coat does not have a hood, ear muffs can be purchased at a shop near the exit of the ice exhibition.
2. If you don’t have a thick coat, you can rent one at the exhibition. These costs $5 each. Buy a coat voucher from the ticketing counter and suit up at the coat changing area immediately after it.
3. Complimentary gloves are provided with the purchase of tickets.
4. Children below nine years old or 1.2 metres in height enter for free when accompanied by at least one paying adult.
5. OCBC Card and Mastercard holders get 10% off admission prices.
6. Parts of the floor do get iced up. These white patches of ice on the floor are slippery so keep the kids from running around inside the ice hall.
7. There is no re-entry into the ice hall. If you get cold inside the ice chamber, you can’t “step out for a while” and later expect to step back in. [Editor’s note: That’s what they told us when we visited on 23 Nov. We heard that they may have relaxed this rule since.]
8. There are food stalls after the exit of the ice hall. The hot porridge we had there tasted pretty good, especially after being frozen into a popsicle inside the ice hall.
9. Limited open-air parking lots are available at the exhibition site. The entrance to the exhibition’s car park is along Bayfront Avenue. Coming from Marina Square, head past the MBS hotel towers (on your left), go past the Sheares Link traffic junction and look out for the car park entrance on the left. Parking fees are $4 for the first hour and $3 for every subsequent hour. Alternatively, you can park at Marina Bay Sands or at the open-air Wilson car park.
10. If you are arriving by MRT, the exhibition is located beside Bayfront MRT’s Exit A.
DETAILS
2Degree Ice Art
20 November 2013 to 15 May 2014
Adults – $32.00
Child – $26.00
Children below 1.2 metres or less than 9 years old get free entry with purchase of adult ticket
Winter coat rental – $5.00 each
Located at the Junction of Bayfront Ave and Sheares Link; Standalone building beside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and opposite the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.
Limited onsite parking.
Get more ideas on what to do with kids during the December 2013 School Holidays or download ourLittle Day Out’s Star Map to children’s shows around shopping malls in Singapore in December 2013
