Sunday, August 11, 2013

Marina Bay

Marina Bay is a bay near Central Area in the southern part of Singapore, and lies to the east of the Downtown Core. Marina Bay is set to be a 24/7 destination with endless opportunities for people to “explore new living and lifestyle options, exchange new ideas and information for business, and be entertained by rich leisure and cultural experiences”.[1] It is here where the most innovative facilities and infrastructure such as the underground “Common Services Tunnel” are built and where mega activities take place

Master Plan for Marina Bay[edit source | editbeta]

The URA Master Plan for Marina Bay aims to encourage a mix of uses for this area, including commercial, residential, hotel and entertainment, to ensure that the area remains vibrant round the clock. All developments in the area aim to promote the 3 premises of Explore, Exchange and Entertain:
Explore – New living options. Numerous high-end residential developments are in the pipeline, including One Shenton and Marina Bay Residences which will complement The Sail @ Marina Bay to provide a seamless work-live environment at the heart of the city.[1]
Exchange – Hub for global business. When completed, Marina Bay will double the size of the existing financial district, further cementing Singapore’s position as one of Asia's leading financial centres. It will provide 2.82 million square metres of office space, equivalent to the office space within Hong Kong's main business district, Central.
Entertain – Kaleidoscope of activities. In 2010, the opening of Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort provided more entertainment options to the area, along with the other existing entertainment and shopping districts like Esplanade, Suntec City, Marina Square, Raffles City Shopping Centre.
The Singapore government also spent $35 million to complete the 3.5 km Waterfront Promenade around Marina Bay.[3] It includes a new eco-friendly visitor centre and The Helix linking Bayfront to Marina Centre where the Youth Olympic Park is located. The Promontory @ Marina Bay (formerly Central Promontory Site) will be used as an interim event space and public space used for activities such as theatres and carnivals.[4]
Aerial view of Marina Bay in the evening
Ground level view of Marina Bay at night

History[edit source | editbeta]

In 1970s, land reclamation was carried out at Marina Bay, forming what is today the Marina Centre and Marina South areas. In the reclamation process, Telok Ayer Basin was removed from the map, while the Singapore River's mouth now flows into the bay instead of directly into the sea. In 2008, Marina Barrage was built, asin into a new downtown freshwater Marina Reservoir, providing water supply, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction.

Events at Marina Bay[edit source | editbeta]

Marina Bay viewed from the Singapore Flyer at sunset
The inaugural Singapore Grand Prix took place on 28 September 2008 on a street circuit through Marina Bay.[5] It was also the first everFormula One Grand Prix to be staged at night, with the track fully floodlit. Since its inception, The Float@Marina Bay has hosted events such as the National Day Parade, New Year’s Eve Countdown,[6] Singapore Fireworks Celebrations, as well as served as a spectator stand for the inaugural Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. The world’s largest floating stadium played host to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the inaugural Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010.[7]

Infrastructure[edit source | editbeta]

Common Services Tunnel[edit source | editbeta]

Singapore is the second Asian country after Japan to implement a comprehensive Common Services Tunnel system to distribute various utility services to all developments in Marina Bay. The network of purpose-built tunnels houses water pipes, electrical and telecommunication cables and other utility services underground. CST not only improves reliability of services supplies and allows easy maintenance and new installations, it also has 100% emergency backup services and the capacity for expansion to meet changing utility needs.[8]

Water management[edit source | editbeta]

In 2004, the Public Utilities Board publicly announced plans to construct a new downtown reservoir by damming the Marina Channel. This barrage was completed in 2008. Known as the Marina Barrage, it turned Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin into a confined freshwater reservoir with limited access to marine transportation to regulate the water quality. The new reservoir provides another source of drinking water for Singapore, as well as a stable water level for a variety of water activities and events. The barrage will also prevent flooding in the Chinatown area.

Transportation[edit source | editbeta]

There are currently 7 rail stations: City Hall, Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Bayfront, Downtown, Esplanade and Promenade serving Marina Bay. By 2020, the 360 hectares Marina Bay will boast a comprehensive transport network as Singapore's most rail-connected district.[9] The first three new MRT lines will open between 2012 and 2014. By 2018, the Marina Bay district will more than sixMRT stations, all no more than five minutes of each other. A comprehensive pedestrian network including shady sidewalks, covered walkways, underground and second-storey links will ensure all-weather protection and seamless connectivity between developments and MRT stations.[10] Within greater Marina Bay, water taxis will even double up as an alternative mode of transportation.

Other places of interest[edit source | editbeta]

Gardens by the Bay[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: Gardens by the Bay
The 101-hectare Gardens by the Bay site is made up of Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden, and Bay Central Garden across the mouth of the Singapore River. All three gardens will be interconnected via a series of pedestrian bridges to form a larger loop along the whole waterfront and linked to surrounding developments, open public spaces, transport nodes and attractions. Through plant-based edutainment, horticultural displays, garden craftsmanship and floral artistry, Gardens by the Bay will provide another source of recreation for Singaporeans and tourists alike.

Marina Bay City Gallery[edit source | editbeta]

Completed in July 2010, the Marina Bay City Gallery is an eco-friendly building by the waterfront promenade along Marina Boulevard. The gallery showcases a large-scale model of Marina Bay, by incorporating the latest multimedia technology, visitors can navigate their way around the model to experience and appreciate the new city coming up around Marina Bay.

Waterfront Promenade[edit source | editbeta]

A 3.5 km waterfront promenade linking the necklace of attractions at the Marina Centre, Collyer Quay and Bayfront areas was completed in 2010. Visitors can look forward to a stroll along the Mist Walk, dancing water jets and enjoy a panoramic view of the Bay from any point along the promenade.

Key developments[edit source | editbeta]

Future developments[edit source | editbeta]

Gallery[edit source | editbeta]

  • Marina Bay and Marina Centre at night.
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  • Marina Bay with the skyline of Raffles Place on 31 December 2006.
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  • Marina Bay with theEsplanade Theatresbehind on 30 November 2007
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  • Singapore Downtown Core near Marina Bay on 30 November 2007
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  • Merlion
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  • Performing Arts Centre, Marina Bay
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Gardens by the Bay






Gardens by the Bay (Chinese: 滨海湾花园; pinyin: bīnhǎi wān huāyuán) is a park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land[1] in centralSingapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.
Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city.
First announced to the public by Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally in August 2005, Gardens by the Bay is intended to become Singapore's premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon.
An international competition for the design of the master plan, held in January 2006, attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries. Two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter[2] – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively.
The park has proven extremely popular for event planners, with demand so high that the park has to limit the number of events to three per week.[

Bay Central Garden[edit source | editbeta]

Bay Central Garden will act as a link between Bay South and Bay East Gardens. It stands at 15 hectares (37 acres) with a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) waterfront promenade that allows for scenic walks stretching from the city centre to the east of Singapore. More developments of Bay Central Garden are coming in the next few years.

Bay East Garden[edit source | editbeta]

View of the Singapore skyline from Gardens by the Bay East
Bay East Garden is 32 hectares (79 acres) in size and it has a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) promenade frontage that embroiders the Marina Reservoir. An interim park was developed at Bay East Garden in support of the 2010 Youth Summer Olympics. The first phase of the garden was opened to the public in October 2011, allowing alternate access to the Marina Barrage.[4]
Designed as a series of large tropical leaf-shaped gardens, each with its own specific landscaping design, character and theme. There will be five water inlets aligned with the prevailing wind direction, maximizing and extending the shoreline while allowing wind and water to penetrate the site to help cool areas of activity around them. Bay East Garden will provide visitors with an unobstructed view of the city skyline. Upcoming developments of Bay East Garden will be based on the theme of water.

Bay South Garden[edit source | editbeta]

Bay South Garden eventually completed and opened to the public on 29 June 2012.[5] It is the largest of the three gardens at 54 hectares (130 acres) and aims to showcase the best of tropical horticulture and garden artistry.
The overall concept of its master plan draws inspiration from an orchid as it is representative of the tropics and of Singapore, being the country's national flower, the Vanda 'Miss Joaquim'. The orchid takes root at the waterfront (conservatories), while the leaves (landforms), shoots (paths, roads and linkways) and secondary roots (water, energy and communication lines) then form an integrated network with blooms (theme gardens and supertrees) at key intersections.

Conservatories[edit source | editbeta]

Gardens by the Bay in 2012
The conservatory complex at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, comprises two cooled conservatories – the Flower Dome (Chinese: 花穹) and the Cloud Forest (Chinese: 云雾林), situated along the edge of Marina Reservoir. The conservatories, designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, are intended to be an energy efficient showcase of sustainable building technologies and to provide an all-weather edutainment space within the Gardens. Both are very large (around 1 hectare (2.5 acres)) and the Flower Dome is the worlds largest columnless glasshouse.[6]
The construction of the glasshouses is special in two ways. First of all by being able to have such large a glass-roof without additional interior support (such as columns). Secondly because the constructions aims strongly at minimizing the environmental footprint. Rainwater is collected from the surface and circulated in the cooling system which is connected to the Supertrees. The Supertrees are used both to vent hot air and to cool circualted water.[7]

Flower Dome[edit source | editbeta]

The main avenue in the Flower Dome
The South American garden
The Flower Dome is the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres). It replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions (e.g. parts of Australia, South America, South Africa).
The Flower Dome is 38 metres (125 ft) high and maintains a temperature between 23°C and 25°C, slightly lower at night.
The Flower Dome features 7 different "gardens" as well as an olive grove with a bistro and a central changing display field has also been incorporated to enable flower shows and displays to be held within the conservatory.
  • The succulent garden and The Baobabs are found in the elevated section. This is a display of plants from the most arid zones including numerous cacti and other succulents as well as Baobab trees and a number of other succulent trees and shrubs. Plants in this section are mainly from the most arid warm temperate zones i USA, Mexico, Africa and of course from Madagascar.
  • The Australian garden contains plants from warm temperate arid and semi-arid zones in Australia including the famous Wollemi Pine and someEucalypts.
  • The South African garden contains plants from a wide range of zones in South Africa including Protea, the national flower of South Africa andStrelitzia.
  • The South American garden contains plants from temperate semi-arid zones of South America including the Monkey puzzle tree and the Chilean Wine Palm.
  • The Mediterranean garden contains plants from the area around the Mediterranean sea including for instance Stone Pine, Cork Oak and Canary Island Date Palm.
  • The Californian garden contains some plants from California.

Cloud Forest[edit source | editbeta]

The Cloud Mountain
The Lost World
The Cloud Forest is higher but slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares (2.0 acres). It replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Middle- and South America. It features a 42-metre (138 ft) "Cloud Mountain", accessible by an elevator, and visitors will be able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre (115 ft) waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air.
The "cloud mountain" itself is an intricate structure completely clad in epiphytes such as orchids, ferns, peacock ferns, spike- and clubmosses,bromeliads and anthuriums. It consists of a number of levels, each with a different theme.
  • The entry level contains plants from the lower regions, foothills and includes numerous ferns, orchids, rare conifers, camelias and much more. From the entry level an elevator goes to the top of the "mountain", the lost world.
  • The lost world contains pitcher plants, fly-traps, orchids, ferns and club-mosses as well as a single Keteleeria.
  • The cloud walk is an aerial walkway around the top of the mountain giving both a closer view of the epiphyts growing on the outside of the mountain, and a view from above on the entry level below.
  • The Cavern and the Crystal Mountain contains exhibitions of mineraology and caves.
  • The Treetop walk is a lower level aerial walkway enabling a walk amongst the treetops.
  • The Secret garden contains plants from ravines and tree ferns from New Zealand.
  • Earth Check and +5 degrees are exhibitions (including a video show) on what will and might happen if the temperate of the planet rises with an average of 5 degrees Celsius due to global warming.

Supertrees[edit source | editbeta]

Supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft). They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.
A night view of the Supertrees
The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection ofbromeliads such as Tillandsia, amongst other plants. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees – photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize; and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories' cooling systems.
Aerial view of Gardens by the Bay from Marina Bay Sands observation deck Singapore
There is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a breathtaking aerial view of the Gardens. A food and beverage outlet is planned atop the 50-metre (160 ft) Supertree. At night, the Supertrees come alive with a light and music show called the OCBC Garden Rhapsody.

Horticultural themed gardens[edit source | editbeta]

There are two distinctly different sets of horticultural themed gardens which centre on the relationships between "Plants and People" and "Plants and Planet". They are an important part of the Gardens' edutainment programme, which aims to bring plant knowledge to the public.
The "Plants and People" theme features a Heritage Garden that highlights the various cultural groups in Singapore and the important role that plants play in their respective cultures, as well as the country's colonial history. It also focuses on economically important plants to Singapore and South East Asia.
The "Plants and Planet" theme emphasizes the web of relationships amongst the various plants within a fragile forest setting, showcasing the biodiversity of plant life on the planet.

Flower Market and main event space (Phase 2 of development)[edit source | editbeta]

A model by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of the future garden at Marina South
The Flower Market will eventually be the main entry precinct into the Gardens. It will include an indoor events space, retail and various food & beverage outlets. The main event space is a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) outdoor lawn with a stage.

Planning considerations in the design of Bay South[edit source | editbeta]

Several plans for key pedestrian and vehicular linkages from the surrounding developments and public transport hubs have been put in place to increase accessibility and create a transition between the Gardens and its surrounding landscape.
Landforms were designed so that prevailing winds will create spaces with gentle breezes. In addition, tree canopies, plant trellises and other man-made structures such as the cooled conservatories and Supertrees will provide shade and shelter in most parts of the Gardens.

A sustainable garden that cares for the environment[edit source | editbeta]

The Gardens have been designed with the environment in mind, adopting environmentally sustainable technologies. In particular, the cooled conservatories are intended to be a statement in sustainable engineering and energy efficiency.
A lake system which takes into account the aesthetics and hydrology within the Gardens' catchment has been incorporated into the Gardens' design. It serves to capture run-off from within the Gardens and acts as a natural "eco-filter", cleansing the water using aquatic plants before the water is discharged into the reservoir.

Budget[edit source | editbeta]

The final construction cost for the project, not including the price of the land but including an access road, drainage works, and soil improvement, was within a $1.035 billion allocated budget. The annual operating cost was expected to be approximately $58 million, of which $28 million was for operation of the Conservatory buildings. The project received 1.7 million visitors between June and October 2012, who had free admission to most portions of the park but were required to purchase tickets for entering the Conservatories
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