Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Singapore

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%

Gardens by the Bay will ultimately cover 101 hectares of reclaimed land at Marina Bay with the addition of Bay East and Bay Central. The ‘City in a Garden’ concept looks to further enhance Singapore’s standing as one of the worlds top destinations. Following the International Design Competition, Grant Associates collaborated with other British designers to deliver the Bay South project including Wilkinson Eyre (architects); Atelier Ten (environmental design consultants); Atelier One (structural engineers); Land design Studio (museum and visitor centre designers) and Thomas Matthews (communication designers). The master plan (Fig. 5) draws inspiration from the form of an orchid and is a ‘rich fusion of nature, technology and environmental management’. The natural element is provided by the horticultural gardens. The Heritage Gardens explore the symbiotic relationship between ‘Plants and People’ whilst The World of Plants illustrates the delicate ecological balance between ‘Plants and Planet’. Technology is manifested in the light and sound shows stimulating the visitor experience in and around the stunning architectural structures, event spaces and restaurants (Figs. 2,3,4). These elements are set in a beguiling forest and lake landscape and are all informed by the considered ecosystem design for this sensitive site detailed in Fig. 6.

Located on the edge of the Marine channel, the climate controlled glazed domes (biomes) are perhaps the pieces de resistance of South Bay (Fig. 9). The larger of the two is the Flower Dome (Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10) covering 1.2 hectares and standing 38 metres high at the ridge. Within this structure a temperature of 23 to 25 degrees C is maintained with a balanced humidity of 60 to 80%. These conditions replicate the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean and semi-arid subtropical regions. The plants displayed include species endangered by climate change and loss of habitat brought about by human activity. The educational value of this attraction is enhanced by the changing colourful displays of the flower fields subject to seasonal change and demonstrating the traditional use of flowers in festival activity. The Flower Dome can accommodate up to 1,400 people and includes a 2,306 square metres indoor event space. Food and drink facilities within the conditioned space totals 1,119 square metres. It is estimated that approximately a quarter of a million species from every continent, with the exception of Antarctica will eventually be housed in the two domes providing a world class botanical facility.

The Cloud Dome covers 0.8 hectares and stands at 58 metres high (Fig. 11). Within this space the climate control system maintains temperature between 23 and 25 degrees C with humidity balanced between 80 and 90%. These conditions replicate those of Tropical Montane regions with an elevation between 1,000 to 3,500 metres above sea level. Constructed inside the dome is a 35 metre tall manmade mountain, complete with waterfall and a vertical plantable surface area of 3,800 square metres (Fig. 12). In total 6,000 square metres of planting space is available in the Cloud Dome. The inspiration for the exhibit is cited as mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia and the high elevation areas found in tropical South America. To facilitate energy efficient cooling technologies for the two biomes, the design team employed site-specific energy modelling studies. The strategies that emerged from the study were implemented as follows.

Solar Gain was mitigated by the use of spectrally selective glass and light sensitive shading.

Selective Cooling of only the occupied zones. Chilled water pipes embedded in the concrete ground slabs promote thermal stratification where cool air settles at the lower occupied zones and warm air rises and collects to be ventilated at the higher levels.

Dehumidification of the untreated air with lithium chloride prior to cooling allows energy savings are made by not cooling moisture laden air.

On site generation of electrical power reduces reliance on the electrical grid for cooling the conservatories with chilled water. Waste is also captured to regenerate the liquid desiccant. This is achieved through the use of a Combined Heat Power biomass steam turbine. Biomass is generated mainly from the horticultural waste produced as a by-product of the gardening activity.

The study concluded that employing the combined strategies detailed above would reduce energy consumption by 30% when compared with conventional cooling methods. The overall energy consumption for the two biomes would not exceed those of a comparable commercial building in Singapore for a 24-hour cooling period.

The Heritage Gardens at Bay South celebrate Singapore’s ethnic groups and colonial past. Symbolism and religion are reflected in the layout of the Indian garden. The Chinese Garden, (Figs. 13, 14) are tranquil places suitable for quiet reflection and the artistic pursuits associated with Chinese culture. The Malay Garden is inspired by the rhythm of life in a traditional ‘kampong’ (village) (Fig. 15). The Colonial Garden focuses on the trade between east and west in plants, spices and seeds, fuelling the empire builders and their trade routes. A further six horticultural themed gardens explore the biodiversity of plant life on the theme ‘Plants and Planet’ with the key elements annotated as follows. Secret Life of Trees : function and evolution

World of Palms: diversity, ecology and man-made uses.

Understorey: forest floor root zones and plant species.

Fruits and Flowers: form, function and cultivation.

Discovery Garden: Plant evolution relative to the planet.

Web of Life: Interrelationship; rainforest flora and fauna, food chains, keystone species (Fig. 16).

Bay South was constructed on reclaimed land, devoid of natural features. This reality presented the greatest challenge for Grant Associates; that of providing an immediate sense of scale and dimension to a garden site initially devoid of mature trees. This challenge was confronted with the phenomenal and innovative design concept of the ‘Supertree’ (Figs. 17, 18). Designed as an integral part of the site eco-system, the vertical gardens, (Supertrees) variably contain photovoltaic installations to harvest solar energy, rainwater harvesting and warm air exhaust risers from the cooled conservatories. Varying in height from 25 to 50 metres, a total of 18 Supertrees provide a vertical habitat for over 200 species of bromeliads, orchids, ferns and tropical flowering climbers. The plants selected for these towering trunks include the Tillandsia stricta from Brazil, Tillandsia fasciculate from Panama, Cattleya maxima from Ecuador, and Pseudorhipsalis, a native of Costa Rica. The selection for each tree is colour co-ordinated. The Supertrees provide a home for 162,900 hardy lightweight plants not commonly found in Singapore but suited to the climate. The tree canopies provide clusters of shade in the day and spectacular illuminated, landmark beacons by night. The 50 metre high Supertree provides spectacular views from its treetop bistro and bar. Bay South’s proximity to Marina Channel provided an opportunity to construct a 1 kilometre tree lined promenade along the edge of the marina providing connectivity between the city centre and the barrage at the entrance to the bay. The aquatic theme and connectivity for Bay South was further enhanced by the construction of Dragonfly Lake, Bridge and boardwalks connecting the city to the gardens. The aquatic gardens and filter beds are an integral element of the sites water quality management. The South East Asian Rainforest is represented by native species planted in an area entitled Fragile Forest; this area also contains the nature themed Tadpole Play Area. Completing this remarkable facility is an Events Lawn capable of hosting outdoor concerts and other events. The capacity of this space is estimated to be in excess of 10.000 people. The aerial photograph (Fig. 19 next page) illustrates the words of Dr. Kiat W Tan, CEO, Gardens by the Bay: ‘‘We are excited to finally share the treasures of this new garden with Singapore and the rest of the world’’.