National orchid gardens

CONCEPT The National Orchid Garden is an extraordinary site and the opportunity to work on its enhancement is an exciting challenge. Located within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the garden retains extremely high levels of appeal and is held in high esteem by visitors from around the world. The site has many positive aspects and the team will need to ensure that these are preserved whilst addressing the garden’s key challenges.

The proposal is prepared by the team led by Ong&Ong Pte Ltd. Fellow team members include WilkinsonEyre, Gustafson Porter, Atelier One and Atelier Ten. Collectively we believe that individual professional disciplines shall collaborate and develop an integrated and coherent solution that offers best value to the Client. The team has great experience working together and has delivered a number of successful international projects.

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VIEWING TOWER TOWER LOOKOUT

BURKILL HALL BURKHILL HOUSE VIP ORCHIDS

NURSERY CELEBRITY ORCHIDS

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BROMELIAD

MIST

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COOL HOUSE

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ASPIRATION

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Our ambition is to introduce a series of interventions that allow the orchids to be displayed in a truly original way, but often in a more naturalistic, realistic manner.

• Terrestrial and lithophytic • Epiphytic on tree trunk and in canopy A canopy walk allows the visitor access to the existing trees on the site so that the orchids planted on the boughs can be viewed and studied above the ground. The existing gardens and paths below the tree canopy walk are not disturbed, but the shade net above provides perfect conditions for the plants to flourish.

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NATURALISTIC ORCHIDS

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To view the orchids in their appropriate and naturalistic environment, we propose to elevate the visitor to be within the tree canopy:

Burkill Hall VIP Orchids Viewing Tower Nursery Celebrity Orchids Bromeliad Collection Mist House Cool House

The Journey - Burkill Hall to Cool House BURKILL HALL

BROMELIAD

Continuous Net

Glazed Canopy

Canopy Walk

Shading

MIST

Mist Outlet

COOL HOUSE

Double Glazed Enclosure

Continuous Net

Rainforest factors

Proposed Canopy walk

The unifying net

CONCEPT NET THE SHADE NET

MIST NET

STRUCTURE NET

GLASS ENCLOSURE

A super fine unifying net allows the environment below to be modified. The net provides an infrastructure that allows additional shade fabrics to be hung beneath, or glass envelope to be supported above.

The net sits above and around the existing trees on the site, carefully inserted and laced up around specific specimen trees. Micropiles are used to ensure that the precious landscape is not harmed by avoiding the use of heavy bulldozers or major machinery that might disrupt the world heritage landscape. The net is lightweight and will come to site in rolls which are able to be manhandled The support pole will be used to lift the net into position and each will then be laced to its neighbour.

The pull downs will be anchored by rock boulders to avoid further impact on the ground.

Reference images - Canopy nets

Below the support net a range of different materials allow the environment to be tempered for both shade and shelter.

Large tensional forces & large area for the ‘pull-down’ foundation

Perimeter hoop holds the net posts to allow the net to float above the ground

TO TOUCH THE EARTH LIGHTLY We have considered two structural systems to support the concept net: A – A tent system which is in tension, requiring large foundations for pull down.

B – A perimeter hoop which holds net posts to allow the net to float above ground.

We have selected B for its lightness of touch and low impact on the landscape.

A

B Concept models - The unifying net

The Cool House and the descending Canopy Walk - north east elevation

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LANDSCAPE MASTERPLAN HERITAGE The proposal enhances the visitor experience and knowledge of the National Orchid Garden and its rich history in collaboration with NPark’s orchid specialists. The garden follows a timeline through a Heritage Trail uphill to Burkill House, then down to the spectacular contemporary Orchidetum. Entering from the visitor centre, the displays focus on the history and tradition of orchid growing in Singapore. Strong leaf textures and darker backgrounds frame individual orchid displays inspired by botanical illustrations from the Victorian period. Hand held tablets provide information on 19th-20th century specimens and the plant hunters through to 21st century royals. Moving uphill toward Birkhill House, the gardens focus on orchid breeding in Singapore. Displays feature the first hybrids such as Oncidium ‘Goldana’ and cultivars which are the base for modern varieties. Continuing on the heritage trail are the displays of Vanda Miss Joaquim, Singapore’s national flower. The VIP gardens show the latest achievements and the newest orchids as a gesture of friendship and diplomacy. The gardens are striking by their diversity with bursts of colour and dramatic flower forms.

CONTEMPORARY ORCHIDETUM The new Orchidetum displays orchids in a natural environment visible from the canopy walk against a backdrop of lush vegetation. The lightweight, transparent

Burkill Hall

mesh enclosure unites the three houses providing varying degrees of shade to the collections below.

It is proposed to re-locate the Bromeliad collection to the top of the hill

Nursery Terraces

so that one experiences the various regions of the Tropical Montane Collection in succession. The Bromeliad collection is surrounded by veils of Spanish moss and silver toned bromeliads creating

VIP Orchids

‘rooms’ of plants found at lower elevations up to 650m.

The misty environment of Tan Hoon Siang House features forest plants and the detail of orchids and unusual contemporary displays. Light levels are

Main Nursery Shed

Cooled Nursery

controlled through layers of mesh shading suspended from the structural mesh with mist supplied from the canopy walk. The Cool

Viewing Platform

House and its high elevation elfin forest is the most controlled environment at the bottom of the hill. One arrives at the upper walkway with views over the

Cool House Energy Centre

Bromeliad

Cool House displays, toward the Lake and bandstand. Exhibits feature white and pastel coloured orchids against a moss and lichen seepage wall which retains the original waterfall and planting from the existing Cool House.

A waterfall parts to reveal a calm, reflective water pool in the centre of the Cool House.

Mist House

Cool House

Entrance

Masterplan 1/750

1 Orchid Heritage Trail

2 Flower & Texture Garden

3 Heritage Orchid Display

4 Vanda ‘Miss Joaquim’

CIRCULATION

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Orchid Heritage Trail

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Flower & Texture Garden

The proposal is to enhance and resurface the pathways

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Heritage Orchid Display Vanda ‘Miss Joaquim’ VIP Orchid Garden Orchidarium

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Celebrity Orchid Garden

maintaining as much as possible the existing alignment but altering levels to allow for universal access. The vehicular route to Burkill Hall allows for VIP drop off and turnaround to the front of the house.

The Buggy Pathway allows VIP and other visitors to attend the Orchid Naming ceremony and visit the rest of the Gardens in 20-

5 VIP Orchid Garden

6 Orchidarium

7 Celebrity Orchid Garden

9 Bromeliad Collection

10 Mist house

11 Cool house

VIP & Buggy Route (20-30min) Canopy & Cool House Route (30-60min) Pedestrian Route (60+min) Vehicular Route Wheelchair Route

8 Mist & Ghost Plants 10 Mist house 11 Cool house

30 minutes. The existing pathways are re-graded to allow for a maximum slopes of between 4 and 8% for the buggy route.

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The Pedestrian Pathways are re-graded in part to allow for a fully accessible pedestrian route in addition to existing pedestrian paths with steeper gradients. The aim is to maintain the existing ground planting and to disturb as little as possible.

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The Canopy walk will allow visitors to experience all the key

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attractions within 30-60 minutes and allows access in to the canopies of the existing trees.

Routes & Accessibility

Colour & Landscape Concepts

Burkill Hall

VIP Garden

Orchidarium

Bromeliad Collection

Mist House

Cool House

Section 1/500

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BURKILL HALL & NURSERY Burkill Hall was named in honour of two former Directors of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Isaac Henry Burkill, and his son Humphrey Morrison Burkill. Since the creation of the Orchid Garden, the building has undergone careful renovations, keeping the building true to its original design.

Events Lawn

To retain and enhance the characteristics and qualities intrinsic to the “Plantation Style”,

Parking

continuing its programmatic use as a private event venue and as the starting and ending point for the National Orchid Garden journey, our proposals include:

VIP Orchids

• Incorporate a “porte cochère” in front of Bukill Hall facing the garden, creating a new front lawn while keeping the symmetry of the garden • Transform the rear area into a spacious events lawn framed by a covered pergola, with densely landscaped border framing the space to upkeep a formal and classical character whilst creating a distinct spatial quality next to the organic shapes of the orchid garden

VIP Drop-Off

• Two ancillary blocks are sited on opposite sides of the lawn – one block houses the kitchen and the other the rest rooms • The proposed pergola structure will connect the new structures with Burkill Hall and the new car park, and the informal drop-off point • A connection to the back of the lawn area would link to the orchid nursery terraces and will give controlled access to school children and guided tours for educational purposes

Events lawn to the rear of Burkill Hall

Burkill Hall plan

• Maintain natural ventilation to preserve the traditional character and unique quality of the house The architectural conservation team will ensure the restoration process to the heritage building adheres to the conservation technical guidelines. The existing structure, roof profile and eaves will all be retained and restored. Additional layers of heat insulation will be provided where roof tiles are not exposed. Verandahs and balconies will be kept open and all wooden lattice doors will be Events Lawn

sensitively restored.

NURSERY AND TERRACES

Burkill Hall

VIP Drop-Off Area

Burkill Hall section

The Nursery is an integral part of the overall Garden but not normally open to garden visitors. In order to enhance the connection between the Nursery activities and the garden itself, the scheme

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proposes to create a direct link from the back of Burkill Hall down the hillside to the Nursery to facilitate visitation for educational or hospitality purposes. The Viewing Tower will also allow visitors to get a high level view of the Nursery terraces and new Nursery Shed and get a glimpse of the vital

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activities that support the garden and displays. The Main Nursery Shed houses the Administration Area and is located near the existing toilet facilities as well as the new Energy Centre for the Cool House. Open Storage Areas form a courtyard space framed by the Shed, the Cooled Nursery Building and the covered Vehicle Parking Area. The Nursery and the adjacent Energy Centre for air exhaust and intake will be screened from the service road with planting.

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Viewing Platform

The proposal indicates a series of stepped level terraces to facilitate easy access to the nursery beds. The planting beds will be covered with a simple shade canopy which allows views in to the terraces while offering protective shading. The terraces are arranged in functional linear rows following the topography of the hillside.

Main Nursery Shed Cooled Nursery Building Cool House Energy Centre Viewing Platform Full Sun Orchids Light Shade Orchids

Nursery Terraces

Shade Loving Orchids Visual Lines

Nursery section

Nursery plan

CANOPY WALK & VIEWING TOWER BROMELIAD

Viewing Platform

THE BROMELIAD COLLECTION - Stretched directly below the support net is the shade net for the Bromeliads – different opacities for different plant requirements.

MIST N

Canopy and Canopy walk - response to existing trees

THE JOURNEY To enhance the journey experience in the garden, we propose to integrate the use of tablets as a mechanism to interpret plants in a new and innovative way.

Using augmented reality and beacons/ markers we will enable visitors to investigate the displays at their own pace. The technology is able to identify plants and provide bespoke information at different educational levels in selected languages.

This approach extends the limited information presently available with traditional graphics. The tablets would have preloaded software and be ruggedised and waterproofed, they may even have extended use across the site.

THE MIST HOUSE - Hung below the support net is an additional frame, which carries the mist net – this must be located 2-3m above the ground to ensure that the mist does not dissipate too quickly. The misters are also distributed from this second layer.

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COOL HOUSE

North west elevation

The Cool House is shaped to sit within the existing tree layout. The tree and tension net structure takes inspiration from the works of Frei Otto .

Cafe

The form is a continuation of the net, but where externally the net is adjusted by support poles, the shape is adjusted by support trees within the Cool House. These trees allow a finer adjustment of the net to ensure that the conditioned volume is kept close to a bubble,

Plant

not a peak.

The joy of this solution is that it is possible to use the ‘tree’ structures to allow more plant display continuing the story from the outside of hanging epiphytes in the canopy.

ENVIRONMENTAL The external envelope of the Cool House will be double glazed with selective UV coating to minimise solar heat gains whilst at the same time ensuring high levels of natural daylight for plants to thrive.

Orchidetum entry level +119

Garden exit level +115

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External Envelope

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Roof eave overhang

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Structural trees

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High level air supply outlets

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Low level air supply outlets

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Extract air inlets

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Air misters

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Rainwater harvesting from the roof

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Non-potable water storage tank

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Water treatment

PLAN

Full air mixing is provided to deliver the required ambient conditions across the Cool House volume for plants to grow and visitors to enjoy the experience. Structural tree branches supply air at high level whilst air is injected at low level via air inlets integrated seamlessly into the podium, landscaping and the base of the structural tree branches.

CAPPING

SOFT CLOSING PIECE

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B.

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A.

Storm water from the roof and condensate water from air handling units is collected and reused for irrigation and, following minimum treatment, for air misters, water features and toilet flushing.

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To achieve the low-carbon energy supply performance required for a high “GreenMark” certification level, energy is generated on-site by a biofuel CHP based energy centre.

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A.

SECTION

The energy/services centre is located next to the Nursery complex from the Cool House to facilitate easy access for maintenance and also ensure that the glazed façade and its immediate surroundings are not affected by the heat, noise and pollution emitted from the equipment in the energy centre. The compound should be organised to include some of the existing maintenance services.

Canopy walk entry level +124

B.

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BONDED TO GLASS

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Storm water overflow

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Air conditioning (air handling units)

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Fresh air supply inlets and exhaust air inlets

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Energy generation compound

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Biofuel CHP and biofuel storage

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Absorption chiller

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Heat rejection

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Air mixing

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Visual and acoustic buffer

SOFT CLOSER

CABLE TENSION

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE The proposed construction method demonstrates our recognition of the importance of the ‘rock wall’ in the existing Cool House which brings invaluable memory to the visitors and the Client. As we propose to re-build the Cool House at its current location, a temporary enclosure equipped with mechanical ventilation service and artificial lighting

SECTION

Roof details

Tree - concept

Existing

Protect

AS STRUCTURE TreeTREE as structure

FOR PEOPLE TreeTREE for people

TREE Tree for airFOR AIR

TREE FOR MIST Tree for mist

FOR PLANTS TreeTREE for plants

will be required to protect the ‘rock wall’ and any remaining precious planting could be relocated to a temporary nursery before enabling works and construction commences.

The footprint of the new Cool House is designed to be sufficiently larger than the temporary protection to the‘rock wall’ to allow construction to take place and for the protection to be removed when the new glass house is completed.

Demolish

Construction

Integrate

Cool House - Internal view

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