This is my 'happy' page. Exquisite flowers to brighten up the day.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Gardens by the Bay - Flowers Galore
This is my 'happy' page. Exquisite flowers to brighten up the day.
Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - A Spectacular Sight
Opened in June 2012, Gardens by the Bay is a unique 101-hectare park in the heart of the city of Singapore. Built on reclaimed land, the Gardens is home to plants and trees from around the world.
There are 18 giant man-made Supertrees which provide shade during the day and at night, they come alive in a dazzling display of lights and colours. A 128 metre-long aerial skyway connecting 2 super trees give a superb view of the city skyline.
The Flower Dome conservatory replicates the climate of the Mediterranean and semi-arid sub tropical regions. Nature lovers will definitely spend a lot of time exploring the flowers and plants from many countries like California, Italy, Spain and Australia.
The Cloud Forest Conservatory replicates the cool moist climate in tropical mountain areas. A stunning waterfall greets visitors at the entrance.
The outdoor Heritage Gardens showcases plants that are intricately linked to Singapore's heritage and culture. This is a walk down memory lane into the history and culture of Singapore's 3 main ethnic groups and the colonial past.
Development of Gardens
Industry and government work hand-in-hand to develop Gardens by the Bay. While the Singapore Government has paid for the garden's basic infrastructure, extra features are funded by private sector. Large corporations have adopted various sections of the Gardens. OCBC bank sponsored S$8 million for the walkway and light-and-sound show at the Supertrees. S$2 million from ExxonMobil was used for educational resources at Dragonfly Lake, Kikkoman contributed S$1 million towards the Kingfisher Lake.
The latest contribution is from Far East, a private property developer. S$10 million (the largest sponsorship so far) will be used to build a 1 hectare children's playground complete with water-play areas and a rainforest treehouse. This area which is slightly larger than a football field will be completed by June 2013.
For the first 3 months since its opening, the Gardens has seen 1.7 million visitors. Projects in the pipeline - Satay by the Bay and an outdoor cactus garden.
Master Planner & lead designer
British landscape architect, Andrew Grant drew inspiration from the magical jungles in the Japanese animated film Princess Mononoke for this S$1 billion public park.
"Right at the beginning, I did sketches to show how the energy cycles in the gardens should relate with its water cycles and rainfall patterns. My challenge to my design team was for them to find efficient and environmentally relationships between the gardens' buildings and its landscape," said Grant in an interview with the Straits Times writer, Cheong Suk-Wai.
Grant and his team-mates at Wilkinson Eyre Architects came up with the environmentally-friendly solution on how to cool the 2 colossal domes without air-conditioners. Tonnes of grass clippings and wood wastes in Singapore are burnt for heat to power the turbines to chill the underground water pipes. The conservatories are cooled from the floor up. This innovation is globally acclaimed. On 5 Oct 2013, the conservatories were named World Building of the Year, the top prize in the prestigious World Architecture Festival.
Getting there
Take the MRT to Bayfront Exit B. It's a 5 minute walk to the Gardens.The outdoor Heritage Gardens showcases plants that are intricately linked to Singapore's heritage and culture. This is a walk down memory lane into the history and culture of Singapore's 3 main ethnic groups and the colonial past.
Development of Gardens
Industry and government work hand-in-hand to develop Gardens by the Bay. While the Singapore Government has paid for the garden's basic infrastructure, extra features are funded by private sector. Large corporations have adopted various sections of the Gardens. OCBC bank sponsored S$8 million for the walkway and light-and-sound show at the Supertrees. S$2 million from ExxonMobil was used for educational resources at Dragonfly Lake, Kikkoman contributed S$1 million towards the Kingfisher Lake.
The latest contribution is from Far East, a private property developer. S$10 million (the largest sponsorship so far) will be used to build a 1 hectare children's playground complete with water-play areas and a rainforest treehouse. This area which is slightly larger than a football field will be completed by June 2013.
For the first 3 months since its opening, the Gardens has seen 1.7 million visitors. Projects in the pipeline - Satay by the Bay and an outdoor cactus garden.
Master Planner & lead designer
British landscape architect, Andrew Grant drew inspiration from the magical jungles in the Japanese animated film Princess Mononoke for this S$1 billion public park.
"Right at the beginning, I did sketches to show how the energy cycles in the gardens should relate with its water cycles and rainfall patterns. My challenge to my design team was for them to find efficient and environmentally relationships between the gardens' buildings and its landscape," said Grant in an interview with the Straits Times writer, Cheong Suk-Wai.
Grant and his team-mates at Wilkinson Eyre Architects came up with the environmentally-friendly solution on how to cool the 2 colossal domes without air-conditioners. Tonnes of grass clippings and wood wastes in Singapore are burnt for heat to power the turbines to chill the underground water pipes. The conservatories are cooled from the floor up. This innovation is globally acclaimed. On 5 Oct 2013, the conservatories were named World Building of the Year, the top prize in the prestigious World Architecture Festival.
Getting there
Hours
Outdoor gardens 5 am - 2 am daily
Conservatories 9 am - 9 pm daily
OCBC Skyway 9 am - 9 pm daily
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| City skyline |
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| OCBC Skywalk |
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| Man and nature.The Supertrees are vertical gardens up to 50m high made of steel and concrete |
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| climate-controlled dome |
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| There are 2 clam-like domes. The taller one is the Cloud Forest conservatory and the other is the Flower Dome. |
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| Marina Bay Sands from the Gardens |
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| the amazing Supertrees Grove - beautiful at night |
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| Super Trees lit at night |
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| Marina Bay Sands |
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| Dazzling sight! Solar-powered trees |
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| The Supertrees also serve a practical function as concrete chimneys. The burning of waste material to cool the conservatories generates a lot of heat. The smoke is treated to remove particles and then deplumed to suck the ash out of the air. The purified hot air is then released into the atmosphere through chimneys hidden in the Supertrees. |
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| OCBC Skywalk suspended 22m above ground. OCBC Bank contributed S$8million for an aerial walkway and a light-and-sound show. |
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| Bay South |
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| Dragonfly bridge spanning over Dragonflylake. There are 2 man-made islands in the lake - Nibong & Dragonfly islands. ExxonMobil Asia Pacific donated S$2 million for educational resources at the lake. |
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| Singapore Flyer on the left and dome on right |
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| Formula 1 night race logo at Marina Bay Sands Sept 2012 |
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| Sebastian Vettel - winner of Singapore F1 2012 |
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