The 18 SuperTrees at the upcoming Gardens at Marina South are the first of their kind in the world
TREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: Mostly ranging from 25m to 35m tall, the SuperTrees serve not only an aesthetic purpose but will also collect rain water for recycling and tap on solar energy through solar panels. -- PHOTO: GRANT ASSOCIATES, ST PHOTO: ALAN LIM
IMAGINE enjoying a glass of champagne in a bar atop a giant tree, surrounded by lush greenery and with a bird's-eye view of the new Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort and the whirling Singapore Flyer.
The 50m-tall tree atop which you quaff a drop is not actually a real one though, but one of 18 similar structures called SuperTrees, which have been built to resemble trees, complete with flowers entwining a concrete 'trunk'.
That towering vision of the high life is among the plans unveiled yesterday for Gardens at Marina South, the first of three gardens for the Marina Bay waterfront. It spans 54ha and is smaller than the 63ha Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The three gardens, to be built by the National Parks Board (NParks), are intended to add vibrancy to the new financial hub emerging at the bay, adding to its 'live-work-play' concept.
Work on Phase 1 of Gardens at Marina South - covering an initial 30ha to 35ha and due to open in 2010 - began yesterday at a ground-breaking ceremony by Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development.
He told reporters after the ceremony that building Gardens at Marina South is expected to cost $900 million.
When the project was awarded last year, initial estimates of the cost for the three gardens were about $300 million to $400 million.
But Mr Mah pointed out yesterday that they are set to be a major tourist attraction, 'with an estimated annual visitorship of 2.7 million, contributing approximately $1billion to the economy over a period of 10 years'.
According to him, they will also add value to the surrounding real estate and will also boost Singapore's standing as a premier garden city.
Gardens at Marina South is the largest of the three gardens. The others are Gardens at Marina East, which will have terraced water gardens, and Gardens at Marina Centre, which does not have a design yet.
British firm Grant Associates won the contract for Gardens at Marina South last year in a contest involving international landscape architects, architects and planners.
In an interview with Life!, Grant Associates director Andrew Grant, 49, painted a picture of the garden that would turn any visitor green with envy - and make a greenie even more so.
HIS GOAL: Mr Andrew Grant, whose Grant Associates thought up the SuperTrees concept, says the firm's goal is to make the garden the most popular space in Singapore.
For example, as well as being an awesome sight, the SuperTrees are also functional, explains Mr Grant, whose firm, established in 1996, is known for its ecological park, Earth Centre, near Doncaster in Britain.
Some will collect rain water, which will be recycled and used in the garden. Others will have solar panels on top to trap sunlight for energy. Others will double as exhaust systems.
As well as the SuperTrees - which will be the first such structures in the world, says Mr Grant - there will be two conservatories: a cool, dry one for plants from the Mediterranean environment and a cool, moist one for tropical highland plants. These would be the largest such conservatories anywhere in the tropics, he adds.
The garden itself will be separated into three general areas. The first will have a 'plant and people' theme, exploring the cultural association of plants.
The plants will be split into four 'rooms' to reflect Singapore's multi-racial background. For example, one 'room' could have herbal plants that are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and another might have a coconut tree to reflect its Malay heritage, he says.
On another side of the garden will be a 'plant and planet' area that highlights the significant role of plants. A new rainforest will be created here and will include endangered species of plants found in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Between the two areas is what Mr Grant calls the central spine, where most of the SuperTrees are and where nature and technology meet.
Ah yes, those SuperTrees. Only one will be as high as 50m, and at this early stage, the idea of a bar atop it is only a possibility. The rest of the 18 will be about 25m to 35m tall.
Each consists of a concrete core surrounded by a net-like skin made of steel, where tropical ferns, orchids, climbers and bromeliads will grow, creating a 'trunk'.
Mr Grant says: 'I wanted to create something that will have a 'wow' factor. At night, they can be used as landmark structures when they are lit.'
At their height, these trees will be taller than real ones. Two of the SuperTrees will be connected by a walkway 20m to 25m above ground that visitors could take a stroll on.
As for the conservatories, more awe is in store there, too.
Their designer, architect Paul Baker of Wilkinson Erye Architect, says they will allow plants that are not usually seen in Singapore to be planted.
PROVIDING SHADE: 'Ribs' on the exterior of the conservatories(Above), which are designed by architect Paul Baker (Next)will provide shade and regulate the amount of heat entering the structures. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH
The 1.4ha cool, dry conservatory will contain an astonishing range of plants and flowers commonly found in the Mediterranean and semi-arid sub-tropical regions, such as rosemary, lavender, roses and proteas. It will also have a large central space in which a display of flowers will change every four to six weeks.
Dr Tan Wee Kiat, NParks' project director and adviser, says this conservatory will allow spring flowers to be grown in Singapore's tropical climate.
The 0.9ha cool, moist conservatory will have a tropical highland environment, with a rainforest inside and a lattice covered with orchids and mosses. It will also boast a 35m waterfall.
Mr Baker, 48, says both conservatories will have 'ribs' on their exterior that provide shade and control the heat entering them.
The temperatures in both conservatories will be kept at 23 degC in the day. 'It will always be at a comfortable temperature for visitors, regardless of whether it is sunny or raining outside,' says Mr Baker. This is his first project in Singapore.
At night, the temperatures will drop to 10 to 13 degC. 'The plants need a cooler environment to flower,' says Mr Grant.
Mr Mah says the conservatories are expected to cost $300 million to build, and to recover the cost of building and maintenance, visitors are likely to pay a fee to enter.
He adds that the conservatories will be built to be energy-efficient, and will consume less energy than an equivalent air-conditioned office building.
Mr Grant says the garden is his firm's most significant project to date, and the goal is to make it the most popular open space in Singapore. Grant Associates beat 170 firms from 24 countries to land the project, and was chosen for its vibrant and colourful concept.
Indeed the garden will be one of many hues. Mr Grant says there will be colourful shrubs planted around the garden, and especially in the conservatories. He will also be introducing new species of plants that have yet to be seen in Singapore. 'There will be thousands of species in the garden,' he says.
An existing lake will also be expanded, with a timber walkway surrounding it.
The garden will be more than a place for green lovers. In the works are also food-and-beverage outlets along the waterfront.
Mr Mah told reporters that work on the Gardens at Marina East and Marina Centre will start only after 2010.
As for Gardens at Marina South and its tree-mendous towers, Mr Grant says: 'I hope visitors go 'cor blimey' or the Singapore equivalent when they see it.'
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