Gardens by the Bay Marina Bay Singapore 2012 grant associates www.grant-associates.uk.com
The founder of modern Singapore, Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826) was no stranger to the world of plants. When his first wife Olivia Mariamne died in Buitenzorg, West Java in 1814 Raffles erected a memorial stone in the National Botanical Gardens that he re-landscaped during his tenure as LieutenantGovernor of Java. The gardens and mansion house were originally established by the Dutch East India Company in 1744 and are now known as The Bogor Botanical Gardens. The tradition of research into plants and seeds from all over Indonesia, was largely established on the site by Professor Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt and continues to this day. When Raffles returned to South East Asia in 1819 his knowledge of Malay history, culture and language enabled himself and Major William Farquhar to establish control of the island of Singapore for the British East India Company. The treaty made with Hussein, Shah of Jahore, would transform the largely uninhabited island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula into one of the world most successful trading cities.
The Republic of Singapore (Lion City) is today an independent city-state with a population exceeding 5 million ethnically diverse people. Just under 75% are Chinese, around 14% are Malay, and approximately 9% are of Indian origin with the remainder being derived from other races. The combined efforts of this relatively small population recently achieved a remarkable Gross Domestic Product of S$326.8 billion. Overlooking the Straits of Singapore to the south of the island (Fig. 1) the Gardens by the Bay may well have defied even the vision of Singapore’s illustrious founder. Bay South, the first of three distinct gardens to be commissioned by the National Parks Board of Singapore was master-planned by UK based landscape architecture firm Grant Associates to provide a showcase for tropical horticulture in a sustainable modern architectural setting. The 54 hectare site adjacent to Marina Bay Sands opened in June 2012 will become a major attraction for Singapore’s residents and visitors, estimated to be currently 11.8 million per annum (Figs. 2, 3).
Population | 5,399,200 Co-ordinates | 1°17’N 103°50’E Elevation | 0 m - 166 m (544.62’) Precipitation | 2,342.5 mm (92.224”) Temperature | Average High: 31 C (87.8 F) Average Low: 24.1 C (75.4 F) Humidity | 84.2%
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Gardens by the Bay | Marina Bay | Singapore | Fig. 1 above | Fig. 2 | Fig. 3 opposite
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