About
An intellectual air surrounds Ayer Rajah, Singapore 's nanotechnology hub. The district is devoid of everything except enterprises, most of which deal in physics and technology. As such, there are many laboratories in Ayer Rajah, placing this district in the forefront of Singapore 's technological innovation. Intimidating yet refreshing, Ayer Rajah deviates from the country's obsession with commerce by focusing on research.

History
There are very little historical records on Ayer Rajah. We only know that the name means “king's water”, which only serves to highlight the district's lack of either.

The Glory of Science
What is perhaps most interesting about Ayer Rajah are its Science Parks. Along Science Park Drive is a large complex of research laboratories. This complex comprises many buildings, each named after a famous scientist of a particular branch of physics. These buildings are divided according to their research specialization that continues the work of these scientists.

For example, The Faraday is named after Michael Faraday, who contributed significantly to electromagnetism. Likewise, The Franklin is named after Benjamin Franklin, the American who invented bifocal spectacles and discovered much about electricity. The Maxwell is named after James Maxwell, who researched on magnetic fields amongst other things. Around these buildings, you also find The Rutherford (after Ernest Rutherford), The Curie (Marie Curie), The Fleming (Ian Fleming), The Pasteur (Lois Pasteur) and The Cavendish (Henry Cavendish).

There are, of course, many buildings in Ayer Rajah that do not have significant names, such as DSO National Laboratories, which researches on defense technology. Other buildings, such as Gemalto, focus on IT technology and hardware, with some dealing in nanotechnology.

More Than Science
There is art and nature in Ayer Rajah as well. Reuters, the international news agency, is located in this district. It is located beside Kent Ridge Park, one of Singapore 's World War II sites. You also find Normanton Park in Ayer Rajah, which comprises private housing surrounded by abundant scenery.