Banned from the train, immortalised on the waterfront
Singapore keeps durian off its MRT while its best-known arts centre has been nicknamed after the fruit.
Singapore has an unusual relationship with durian. An old Straits Times clipping cited by Mothership shows the train operator introducing a S$500 fine for carrying the fruit on board in 1988. Mothership reports that an MRT spokesperson's reasoning was practical: the odour hangs around after the fruit has gone, especially in air-conditioned spaces, and bothers even people who enjoy eating it.
The rule still has legal backing, according to the same report, with the Rapid Transit Systems Regulations allowing fines of up to S$500 for prohibited items on trains. Buses are handled differently. SBS Transit asks riders not to bring items that may offend others, durians included, and Mothership gives no fine for buses, although it describes a 2023 case of a couple asked to leave a bus with their fruit.
Then there is the Esplanade. Theatres on the Bay was opened officially on 12 October 2002 by then-President S. R. Nathan, with its two rounded shells designed by DP Architects of Singapore and, for a time, London's Michael Wilford & Partners. The first design, from 1994, used plain glass, and critics warned it would act like a greenhouse. Aluminium sunshades were added, and more than 7,000 triangular pieces now cover the shells.
That spiky skin is why locals call the building the big durian. According to Wikipedia's account, the architects say the resemblance was never the aim: they wanted glass for the views, and the shades were the most interesting way to deal with the equatorial sun. The nickname stuck anyway.
Sources
- 1988 fine, MRT spokesperson's reasoning, Rapid Transit Systems Regulations, SBS Transit position, 2023 bus case
- Opening date, architects, sunshades, durian nickname and architects' response