Feb 15, 2011

Gardens by the Bay Completes Façade of
First Cooled Conservatory at Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay, the iconic waterfront gardens project in Marina Bay, celebrated a major construction milestone today at the capping-up ceremony of its cool dry conservatory, the Flower Dome.

The 1.2-hectare Flower Dome is one of two cooled conservatories which are central to the Gardens design concept. It will replicate the cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean and semi-arid subtropical regions, and feature an uncommon range of flowers and plants such as baobabs, olive trees, and date palms.

After close to two years of construction, the Flower Dome was fitted with the last panel of glass by Minister for National Development Mr Mah Bow Tan, marking the completion of its façade.

Exterior works for its sister structure, the 0.8-hectare Cloud Forest which will replicate the cool-moist climate of the Tropical Montane region, will be completed later this year.

The conservatories will be an amalgamation of architectural, environmental engineering, and horticultural excellence in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown, Marina Bay.

Designed with the environment in mind, they will apply cutting-edge technologies that provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling.

They will house a diverse collection of plants from the Mediterranean and Tropical Montane regions, which are among the most threatened habitats in the world as a result of climate change and habitat loss brought about by human activities.

While the conservatories are envisaged to be iconic architectural structures that will add to the identity of the Gardens and Marina Bay, their main purpose is to bring forth the beauty of plants, and enable the story of plants and their intimate relationships with Man and the ecosystem to be told.

Members of the public will have the opportunity for a sneak preview of the Flower Dome during the World Orchid Conference from 13 to 20 November 2011. In addition, previews of the Bay South Gardens will be arranged for organised groups from February 2012 onwards, leading up to the official opening of Bay South in June 2012. This period of public preview will help the Gardens ease in its operations and allow the public to provide feedback.

When Bay South officially opens in June 2012, visitors can look forward to enjoying the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, along with other exciting features and a host of educational, horticultural and leisure programmes.

About National Parks Board
National Parks Board (NParks) is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of the Garden City. Beyond green infrastructure, NParks is committed to enhancing the quality of life through creating memorable recreational experiences and lifestyles.

NParks manages 10% of Singapore's total land area which comprises over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves. Adding to this is the extensive streetscape, or roadside greenery, that forms the backbone of our City in a Garden. An island-wide Park Connector Network is also being developed to link major parks and residential areas.

As Singapore's scientific authority on nature conservation, NParks monitors and coordinates measures to ensure the health of Singapore 's biodiversity. This supports the overall thrust of our urban conservation model, which aims to conserve representative eco-systems in land-scarce Singapore for future generations.

NParks is also the lead agency in the efforts to continually upgrade the Landscape Industry in Singapore . It works closely with industry partners to promote good work practices and create a thriving, innovative and professional industry that will support Singapore's aspirations of being a City in the Garden.

For more information, log on to www.nparks.gov.sg

About Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay will occupy 101 hectares of prime land by the water at the heart of Singapore's new downtown at Marina Bay. It will be an integral part of Singapore's City in a Garden vision, and will capture the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical city with an ideal environment in which to live, work and play.