Boss: Welcome to the Singapore planning committee meeting which is to decide how to utilise the large area of land next to Marina reservoir. This land has been reclaimed at vast cost, so we need to use it wisely; perhaps to extend the financial area or build more shopping malls. Ideas?
Man in charge of parks: I want to turn it all into gardens. I want to build the world’s largest dome without internal supports. The three acres of space inside the dome will be filled with flowers from various continents. Then I want to build a second dome in which I will place a mountain; with an atmosphere that mimics tropical mountainous conditions. Outside there will be acres of gardens in which I will build artificial trees which will link with the domes to minimise environmental impact.
Boss: Hahahahahahaha! Oh, you are not joking… And how much is this going to cost?
Man in charge of parks: A billion dollars.
Boss: Oh, go on then.
The overall impression I gained from the visit to these gardens is that whoever takes the decisions in Singapore has very big balls.
Our perception of Singapore is of large, modern city with the usual modern city skyscrapers.
The government decided to change that perception almost ten years ago with a strategy to make Singapore “a city in a garden”, and key to that strategy was to turn more than one million square metres of very expensively reclaimed land into a park. Having decided to do it, they went on and did it, and the result is Gardens By The Bay.
The first place visited was the Flower Dome; three acres of climate controlled space under a massive structure.
The floor space showcases plants and flowers from different areas of the world, with a central section that has a display which is changed several times a year. The tulip fields of Holland had recently been replaced with a display of French gardens and flowers.
I could have done with a macro lens, but instead had to rely on the 12-40mm to get as close as I could for a few flower shots.
And a wall:
An impressive place; but then we went into the Cloud Forest dome.
Someone had decided to stick a mountain top in a dome; and then replicate a mountain top climate with the help of temperature control, waterfalls and mist generators. Insane.
It’s an extraordinary thing; but things get even more amazing when you step outside and find the forest of man-made trees.
You could dismiss these as being rather inappropriate to a natural, apparently ecological theme; until you discover they form part of a complex system designed to promote sustainability. Being complex means I don’t fully understand it; but there is a good description here.
The main gardens are free to enter, but you have to pay to enter the domes. I have no idea how much because my friend Chak would not let me pay for anything (and he bought me lunch and transported me all over town. Thank you Chak). Whatever the cost; the gardens are well worth a visit. Bring your macro lens and you could stay a week.
Comments 🔗
2014-05-26| **** saysI like insane people with dream
2014-05-26| Jason saysWondered if you brought the macro lens or not. Good stuff!