Gardens by the Bay

Needing no real introduction, Gardens by the Bay were a must-see while visiting Singapore. An urban park comprising 105 hectares in Central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden in Marina South, Bay East Garden with the Founders' Memorial in Marina East and Bay Central Garden in the Downtown Core and Kallang. The largest of the gardens is the Bay South Garden which was designed by Grant Associates. The overall concept of its master plan by Grant Associates draws inspiration from an orchid as it is well regarded tropical motif and Singapore national flower. The orchid takes root at the waterfront (conservatories), while the leaves (landforms), shoots (paths, roads and linkways) and secondary roots (water, energy and communication lines) then form an integrated network with blooms (theme gardens and Supertrees) at key intersections. The conservatory complex includes two cooled conservatories; the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. Designed by WilkinsonEyre and Grant Associates, they are intended to be an energy-efficient example of sustainable building technologies, while providing an all-weather educational entertainment space. Both are impressive in scale, the Flower Dome is the world's largest columnless glasshouse.

The most iconic feature at GBTB are the Supertrees. Including 18 tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape. The rights of the structures range between 25-50m. The concept and design were also done by Grant Associates and engineered by Atelier One and Atelier Ten. Effectivly vertical gardens, they perform greening, and shading and have taken the leading role in the image of the park. 

Home to enclaves of ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection of bromeliads such as Neoregelia and Tillandsia. The trees are also fitted with technologies that mimic the ecological function of natural trees such as photovoltaic cells to harness solar energy, which in turn is used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, like lighting. They also Supertrees collect rainwater for use in the irrigation and fountain displays and also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories' cooling systems. The experience was definitely an influential one which I will remember when considering creative rationality in future designs. Gardens by the Bay is an incredible precedent for the impact of creative innovation and shows that the imagined can become real (with the right budget)