British architects Wilkinson Eyre and landscape architects Grant Associates have completed an enormous tropical garden in Singapore filled with tree-like towers, shell-shaped greenhouses and a 30-metre-high man-made waterfall (+ slideshow).

Above: photograph is by Darren Chin

Bay South is the first and largest of three landscaped gardens that will comprise the 100-hectare Gardens by the Bay, sited on reclaimed land beside the marina in downtown Singapore.

Above: photograph is by Darren Chin

Eighteen 'Supertree' structures measuring up to 50 metres in height have thousands of plant species growing up their vein-like cladding. They're connected by bridges 20 metres up and there's a bar at the top of the tallest one.

Above: photograph is by Craig Sheppard

Each one contains rainwater collection tanks and pumps that cool both themselves and the two huge greenhouses beside them.

Above: photograph is by Craig Sheppard

While one of the Wilkinson Eyre-designed conservatories accommodates flowers from Mediterranean regions, the other is filled with tropical plants and the artificial waterfall.

There are also themed gardens, a lake, tree-lined walkways, a playground and an events space.

The design team won a competition to create the gardens back in 2006 and they will open to the public on 29 June.

Above: photograph is by Robert Such

This year Wilkinson Eyre also completed a museum dedicated to ill-fated liner the RMS Titanic - see it here.

Above: photograph is by Craig Sheppard

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Above: photograph is by Craig Sheppard

Here's some extra information from Grant Associates:

British design team behind Gardens by The Bay

Grant Associates leads world team to completion of landmark Singapore landscape

The first phase of Singapore’s dramatic Gardens by the Bay project opens to the public on 29th June following completion of the 54-hectare £500m Bay South Garden by a world-class British design team led by Bath-based landscape architects, Grant Associates.

Above: photograph is by Craig Sheppard

Gardens by the Bay is one of the largest garden projects of its kind in the world.  Ultimately, the site will total 101 hectares comprising three distinct gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central.

Located on reclaimed land in Singapore’s new downtown at Marina Bay, the site will provide a unique leisure destination for local and international visitors.

The project is an integral part of Singapore’s “City in a Garden” vision, designed to raise the profile of the city globally whilst showcasing the best of horticulture and garden artistry.

Above: photograph is by Craig Sheppard

A Great British Collaboration

Following an international design competition, a team led by landscape architecture firm Grant Associates was appointed in 2006 by the National Parks Board of Singapore to masterplan Bay South Garden, the first and largest of the three planned gardensat Gardens by the Bay.

Above: photograph is by Robert Such

Alongside lead designers Grant Associates, the British design team for Bay South includes Wilkinson Eyre (architects); Atelier Ten (environmental design consultants); Atelier One (structural engineers); Land Design Studio (museum and visitor center designers) and Thomas Matthews (communication designers).

Above: photograph is by Robert Such

A Fusion of Nature and Technology

Taking inspiration from the form of the orchid, Grant Associates’ masterplan is a rich fusion of nature, technology and environmental management.   Stunning architectural structures are combined with a wide variety of horticultural displays, daily light and sound shows, lakes, forests, event spaces and a host of dining and retail offerings. The whole plan has an intelligent environmental infrastructure, allowing endangered plants, which could not normally grow in Singapore to flourish, providing both leisure and education to the nation.

Highlights of Gardens by the Bay are many and include:

Cooled Conservatories

Two giant biomes designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects – the Flower Dome (1.2 hectare) and the Cloud Forest Dome (0.8 hectare) – display plants and flowers from the Mediterranean-type climatic regions and Tropical Montane (Cloud Forest) environments and provide an all-weather “edutainment” space within the Gardens.

Supertrees

Between 25 and 50 metres in height, the 18 Supertrees designed by Grant Associates are iconic vertical gardens, with emphasis placed on creating a “wow” factor through the vertical display of tropical flowering climbers, epiphytes and ferns.  At night, these canopies come alive with lighting and projected media. An aerial walkway suspended from the Supertrees offers visitors a unique perspective on the gardens.  The Supertrees are embedded with sustainable energy and water technologies integral to the cooling of the Cooled Conservatories.

Horticultural Gardens

Two collections The Heritage Gardens and The World of Plants centre on ‘Plants and People’ and ‘Plants and Planet’. Together with mass flowering and coloured foliage landscape, they form a spectacle of colour and texture and fragrance within the Gardens, providing a mesmerising experience for visitors.

"Our brief for Gardens by the Bay was to create the most amazing tropical gardens in the world, incorporating cutting edge environmental design and sustainable development principles. We had to factor in the challenges of both the Singaporean climate and working on a reclaimed waterfront. We wanted to capture people’s relationship with nature and use innovative technology to create rich lifestyle, educational and recreational experiences for both local residents of Singapore and visitors from around the world. All these elements informed the vision and creation of the gardens."

— Andrew Grant, Director, Grant Associates

"We were very fortunate to work with the right team to make the vision for Gardens for the Bay work. Our ethos as landscape architects is collaborative. Working with great architects, engineers and environmental specialists we created some very imaginative and innovative ideas that the National Parks Board championed. With these elements the end result at Gardens for the Bay is wonderful, impactful and powerful. It’s been a dream project to work on."

— Keith French, Project Director for Gardens by the Bay at Grant Associates

"Gardens by the Bay provides a unique green space and horticulture-themed leisure destination in the heart of the new downtown at Marina Bay, for everyone to enjoy and cherish. It has been an incredible journey for our horticultural and development staff to bring the gardens to life. We are excited to finally share the treasures of this new garden with Singapore and the rest of the world.”

— Dr. Kiat W. Tan, CEO, Gardens by the Bay