+LOcAL ATMOSPHERES

Architectural and Natural Esplanade Park, Singapore

The project aims to reintroduce the cultural tradition of the ‘bird singing corner’ within the scope of the larger urban space, and away from the surburban neighbourhood where the activity has largely retreated to in modern day. Esplanade Park, a locale nestled in urban, historical and cultural significance, was the given site charged for the revitalisation of ‘bird singing’ in Singapore’s downtown core.

The design of the bird singing station is influenced by the movement of sound as it travels through the air. Bird cages are hung on the lower floor; their singing retracted upwards. Here, bird owners and visitors alike circumambulate on the second floor and catch the sound of birds singing. Unlike the open air second storey, the first storey is intentionally designed with a green roof to roost wild birds, attracted by the singing, in the immediate vicinity. Thus, the second storey acts as both a stage for listening and viewing.

(Facing page)

The project centers around the rehabilitation of Esplanade Park. Inspired by the complexity of overlapping modes of networking at the site, the proposal intervenes in the park’s existing state by reconciling fragmented green spaces and scattered monuments. Thus, establishing new vertical and horizontal spatial relationships through three-dimensional layering. The ambition here is to not only establish new connections, also, to sculpt interacting networks and create spaces that support and facilitate the vicinity’s emerging art scene.