All in the Detail

The concept of the project is based on a heavily organic approach to the design and detailing that had to be reflected in each aspect of the project from pathways to vertical structures.  In addition to the design challenges of the Supertrees and Conservatories, the gardens are rich with innovative details including:

Cellular Paving

One of the features of the gardens will be the striking patterns of paving at key locations. This has been inspired by the cellular patterns of plant cells and is defined by contrasting colours and textures of stone.

Tree of Life Colonnade

The diagrammatic branching pattern is a feature of the gardens and implies networks and interrelationships. Inspired by Darwin’s sketches of the branching patterns of trees, the Tree of Life is used as an in-situ concrete relief pattern along the Colonnade rear wall.  It is developed further in the Flower Dome as a central motif to each garden terrace set into the pavement. The nodes become planters, information points or simple decorative stone inserts.

Steel Structures

An important structure in the gardens is the Dragonfly bridge which connects the heart of the gardens to the Marina Bay Sands resort complex. The structure spans the dragonfly lake on a series of distinctive red supports and offers unique views across the gardens.

The use of coloured steelwork in the gardens continues in the form of aerial roots. These are large curvaceous arches spanning the edge of the Supertree Grove, allowing the display of vigorous flowering climbers.

Green Walls and Vertical Planting

The project includes extensive use of green walls both internally and externally. They are of three main types.  Geotextile Reinforced Earth Walls (GREW) help to define spaces and offer a way of softening steep slopes that might otherwise be developed as concrete walls.  Vertical planting panels offer a more refined framework for planting on vertical surfaces including the Supertrees and selected walls. ‘Living Render’ provides a porous and roughly textured concrete surface that incorporates a proportion of organic material in the concrete mix to create moisture retention and rooting zones for epiphytes. The Mountain in the Cloud Forest Dome Conservatory will be a major display of this technique.