Located in central Singapore, the top tier business hotel and office in a garden project at Hong Lim Park, designed by WOHA, demonstrates how they were able to not only conserve greenery in a built-up high-rise city center, but multiply it vertically in a manner that is architecturally striking, integrated and sustainable. Undergoing construction with scheduled completion in this year, the project has achieved Singapore’s Green Mark Platinum score, the nation’s highest environmental certification. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The site is at a junction between the CBD and the colorful districts of Chinatown and Clark Quay, and faces Hong Lim Park. A contoured podium responds to the street scale, drawing inspiration from landscape formations. These contours are precast concrete elements of modular radii, allowing the complex, sculptural podium to be put together from a basic ‘kit of parts’.
On the ground the contours create dramatic outdoor plazas and gardens which flow seamlessly into the interiors. Greenery from the park is visually extended up into the building in the form of planted valleys, gullies and waterfalls. The landscaping also conceals openings to the above ground car parking while allowing in air and natural light. The top of the podium is a lush landscaped terrace housing the development’s recreational facilities, with infinity edge pools opening up unobstructed views of the city. Birdcage cabanas perched over the waters add interest and delight.
The high-rise blocks housing the hotel rooms and offices are arranged into an open-sided courtyard configuration, breaking up the mass and maximizing views and daylighting into the building. Blue and green glass recalls the water of the nearby Singapore River. The courtyards have contoured sky gardens every four storeys, which bring lush greenery directly to the rooms and continues the landscaping up the entire height of the building. Corridors, lobbies and common washrooms are designed as garden spaces with stepping stones, planting and water features which create an alluring resort ambiance with natural light and fresh air, instead of being 24-hour energy guzzling air conditioned spaces. Tall overhangs work together with leafy foliage to screen these spaces from the weather and direct sun.
A total of 15,000m2 of skygardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces and green walls were designed; this is double the site area or equivalent to the footprint of the adjacent Hong Lim Park. A diverse variety of species ranging from shade trees, tall palms, flowering plants, leafy shrubs and overhanging creepers come together to create a lush tropical setting that is attractive not only to the people but also to insects and birds, extending the green areas from Hong Lim Park and encouraging bio-diversity in the city.
These landscapes are designed to be self-sustaining and rely minimally on precious resources. Rainwater collected from upper floors irrigate planters on the lower floors by gravity supplemented by non-potable recycled Newater, which will also be used for all water features. Photovoltaic cell arrays on the roof will power reticulation systems and softscape lighting.
Architects: WOHA Location: Upper Pickering Street, Singapore Project Team: Wong Mun Summ, Richard Hassell, Donovan Soon, Sim Choon Heok, Francis Goh, Toh Hua Jack, Bernard Lee, Amber Dar Wagh, Mappaudang Ridwan Saleh, Evelyn Ng, Josephine Isip, John Paul R Gonzales, Tan Szue Hann, Alen Low, Pham Sing Yeong, Vanessa Ong, Novita Johana Client: Hotel Plaza Property (Singapore) Pte Ltd Hotel Operator: Pan Pacific Hotels Group Civil and Structural Engineer: TEP Consultants Pte Ltd Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: BECA Carter Hollings & Ferner (S. E. Asia) Pte Ltd Quantity Surveyors: Rider Levett Bucknall LLP Lighting Consultant: Lighting Planners Associates (S) Pte Ltd Landscape Consultant: Tierra Design (S) Pte Ltd Façade Consultant: Meinhardt Facade Technology (S) Pte Ltd Greenmark Consultant: LJ Energy Pte Ltd Acoustic Consultant: CCW Associates Pte Ltd Main Contractor: Tiong Seng Contractors (Pte) Ltd Gross Floor Area: 29,227.0 sqm Plot Area: 6,958.9 sqm, about 205mx33m Height of Building: 89m Project Cost: S$ 137 million Design Inception: 12/2007 Start of Construction: 12/2009 Completion Date: 06/2012
