SG50 Lattice (The Future of Us Pavilion won P*DA Design of the Year 2018) | SUTD Advanced Architecture Laboratory | 2014

Location: SG50 Lattice

An amalgamation of some 11,000 unique, perforated aluminium panels, the Future of Us Pavilion formally and functionally simulates the experience of a sun-dappled stroll under tropical foliage. The brainchild of Professor Thomas Schroepfer and his team, this impressive piece leveraged parametric and algorithmic methods in all steps of its design process, from conception to construction. Tailored specifically for display at this precise location using state-of-the-art computational tools, the Pavilion’s design was informed by the site’s environmental data findings, as well as sustainability considerations to ensure optimal usage of materials in its development. Awarded the P*DA Design of the Year 2018, this project powerfully demonstrates the cross-disciplinary synergies of distinct fields like architecture, engineering and construction in creating refreshing works that depart from the norm.

Serene Garden | WIN Landscape Planning & Design International | 2018

Location: Serene Garden

Inspired by the minimalist concept of Japanese Zen gardens, the tranquil 2-hectare Serene Garden is a stone’s throw from The Meadow. Here, visitors can enjoy a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of city life as they encounter nature in an intimate setting. Anchoring the lush landscape are water features including a reflective pool encircled by graceful Bismarckia palms that encourage contemplation; beautiful red and blue rocks from Niyodo, Japan, each intentionally chosen and placed by the designer; as well as a selection of elegant plants with bonsai-like forms such as juniper and Podocarpus trees, which have long been associated with Japanese Zen gardens. Specially created mounds and meandering pathways also offer interesting perspectives and invite visitors to explore Serene Garden. 

Garden Pod | LAUD Architects | 2022

Location: Garden Pod

Nestled within the luxuriant Serene Garden and set against a panoramic view of the Marina Bay city skyline, Garden Pod provides fresh recreational opportunities for Singaporeans and overseas visitors alike with a unique garden stay experience. Designed by P*DA winner LAUD Architects in line with sustainability principles, Garden Pod comprises four duplex suites fashioned from repurposed 40-foot shipping containers. Arranged in a distinctive pinwheel layout, the suites offer occupants elevated views of their verdant surroundings. Complemented by the use of lightweight steel structures, the hotel’s design revolves around the idea of 'touching the ground lightly’ and sets out to minimise disruptions to its surroundings. Garden Pod is also outfitted with double-glazed glass to maximise energy efficiency and interior comfort, as well as photovoltaic panels harvesting clean solar energy that powers the duplexes, keeping carbon and waste footprints to a minimum.

Supertrees (Bay South Garden won P*DA Design of the Year 2013) | Grant Associates, Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and CPG Consultants Pte Ltd | 2011

Location: Supertree Grove

Towering at heights between 25m to 50m, the iconic Supertrees are among the most recognisable features of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. These spectacular tree-like structures lend immediate scale and dimension to the Gardens while marrying the form and function of mature trees.

Serving as unique vertical gardens, the Supertrees showcase a rich diversity of bromeliads, ferns, orchids and tropical flowering climbers on a scale never before presented in a garden. More than half of the Gardens’ 18 Supertrees are embedded with environmentally sustainable features: some bear photovoltaic cells on their canopies, while others are integrated with the cooled conservatories and act as ‘chimneys’ that expel hot, moist air.

Designed with visitor experience in mind, the Supertrees’ expansive canopies provide shade in the day and come alive with a spectacular light and sound show by night. Visitors can also take in dramatic views of downtown Marina Bay and Bay South Garden on the OCBC Skyway, an elevated aerial walkway connecting two Supertrees, and at Supertree Observatory atop the tallest Supertree.

Garden Benches | Studio Juju | 2015

Location: Supertree Grove

Made specifically for the locations where they are placed, these atypical public benches can be spotted in various parts of Gardens by the Bay’s outdoor gardens. Designed to withstand extreme tropical weathering and unpredictable human usage, the benches are crafted from Balau wood, with planks that have been rounded along their edges to be sturdier and more welcoming to the touch. Created to blend harmoniously with their surroundings, these pieces come in eight different designs, each possessing its own distinct character and yet articulating a coherent design vocabulary.

Spot them at Supertree Grove, along the Colonnade, at the Coach drop-off point near Golden Garden as well as along Waterfront Promenade!

Flower Dome and Cloud Forest (Bay South Garden won P*DA Design of the Year 2013) | Grant Associates, Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and CPG Consultants Pte Ltd | 2011

Location: Flower Dome and Cloud Forest

A familiar sight welcoming visitors en route to the city from the airport, the cooled conservatories – Flower Dome and Cloud Forest – are beloved icons of Gardens by the Bay and Singapore. The world's largest single-span grid shell glass systems, the conservatories are powered by advanced energetics as well as a suite of cutting-edge architectural and engineering strategies that enable them to sustainably replicate salubrious, springtime conditions necessary for over 100,000 unusual plants from around the world to flourish and flower right here in sunny Singapore. 

Designed to utilise renewable energy for efficient cooling, the conservatories’ energy expenditure is comparable to that of a typical air-conditioned building in Singapore. Outfitted with spectrally selective glass and light sensor-operated shadings to minimise solar heat gain while allowing maximum light for plants, the conservatories also apply the process of thermal stratification to ensure that only occupied zones are cooled for greater energy savings. In further reducing its carbon footprint and dependence on the power grid, clean electric energy is generated on-site using biomass, with the waste heat produced harnessed to regenerate the liquid desiccant used in the conservatories’ cooling process. 

A Tropical Torture Rack | Jason Ong | 2014

Location: Ticketing area

These unassuming wooden seats bear a slice of Singapore’s history. Creatively assembled by local designers using upcycled planks from bleachers at the former National Stadium, these functional yet fashionable fixtures can be sighted at various locations in and around the city, including Gardens by the Bay. 

Bench as Sculpture | Tang Guan Bee | 2014

Location: The Canopy

These unassuming wooden seats bear a slice of Singapore’s history. Creatively assembled by local designers using upcycled planks from bleachers at the former National Stadium, these functional yet fashionable fixtures can be sighted at various locations in and around the city, including Gardens by the Bay. 

Garden Benches | Studio Juju | 2015

Location: Coach Drop-off

Made specifically for the locations where they are placed, these atypical public benches can be spotted in various parts of Gardens by the Bay’s outdoor gardens. Designed to withstand extreme tropical weathering and unpredictable human usage, the benches are crafted from Balau wood, with planks that have been rounded along their edges to be sturdier and more welcoming to the touch. Created to blend harmoniously with their surroundings, these pieces come in eight different designs, each possessing its own distinct character and yet articulating a coherent design vocabulary.

Spot them at Supertree Grove, along the Colonnade, at the Coach drop-off point near Golden Garden as well as along Waterfront Promenade!

The Kallang Wave | Ministry of Design | 2014

Location: Water Lily Pond

These unassuming wooden seats bear a slice of Singapore’s history. Creatively assembled by local designers using upcycled planks from bleachers at the former National Stadium, these functional yet fashionable fixtures can be sighted at various locations in and around the city, including Gardens by the Bay. 

Kingfisher Wetlands | Gardens by the Bay | 2022

A rare wetlands area in the heart of Singapore’s downtown, the sprawling 15,000 sqm Kingfisher Wetlands offers the public more opportunities to get up close with nature. Complete with a wildlife lookout as well as educational signage sharing interesting information on frequently sighted birds and animals, Kingfisher Wetlands is an ideal platform to educate visitors about biodiversity, conservation and other important environmental concerns.

Much care was taken to minimise disruptions to the site and impact on wildlife in the wetlands’ development, with various key features woven into the landscape in an environmentally sensitive way. For example, streamlets and cascades added to connect the two lakes in the vicinity were carved out in thoughtfully considered ways that respected the landscape’s existing context, and aligned to accommodate large trees growing at the original site. More than just aesthetic enhancements, these water features improve water quality and circulation as they create microhabitats that encourage biodiversity to flourish. The wetlands also serve as a living laboratory to support blue carbon science research and testbed nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change. 

Gardens by the Bay MRT | Aedas Architect | 2022

A prominent fixture in the outdoor gardens, Gardens by the Bay MRT station is sited beside the popular Satay by the Bay and features a distinctive clamshell design that likely drew inspiration from the two conservatories. The station’s interior is planted with a double green wall that leads from the concourse up to the ground level.

Inside the station, come face to face with Planting Shadows. An original artwork by homegrown art collective Vertical Submarine, this impressive piece was commissioned as part of Land Transport Authority’s Art in Transit programme, Singapore's largest public art showcase. Adapted from botanical drawings produced during the colonial era, Planting Shadows traces the past to Gardens by the Bay, where nature is cultivated and celebrated. An exploration of the artists’ interest in botany and its intersection with visual language and history, this artwork uses shadows of tropical plants as images to echo nature’s presence and absence in our urban environment.