MRT Map - Cliff Tan 2019

I designed this unofficial map of Singapore’s MRT system seven years ago.

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I didn’t want to make just another pretty transit map. I wanted to see if I could make one that was actually geographically accurate, with stations sitting closer to where they are in real life, the shape of Singapore’s coastline reflected in the network, and, most importantly, the enormous patch of rainforest in the middle of the island treated as the very real piece of geography that it is.

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But accuracy wasn’t the whole point. I also wanted the map to have a personality.

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Each line has its own character, with curves and shapes that are deliberately a little sexy, a little playful, and hopefully memorable. And when all the lines come together, the whole network starts to look vaguely like an elephant, with the Central Catchment Nature Reserve forming its eye.

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It’s completely unofficial. I made it for myself, really, and there was never any particular plan for it to become anything more than a personal experiment.

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And yet, seven years later, I still have it saved on my phone. I still use it whenever I need to find my way around Singapore.

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There’s something oddly satisfying about navigating a city through a map that feels a little more like the city itself. It makes finding your way around feel less stressful, and, honestly, a bit more fun.

So this is my little Singapore MRT map. I hope you enjoy using it as much as I have.