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  Today Online 7 Sep 06
The green thumbs-up
Joint winners announced for Marina South, Marina East gardens masterplan
Lee U-Wen and Tor Ching Li u-wen@newstoday.com.sg

Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 06
Design teams chosen for two Gardens by the Bay
By Julia Ng

SINGAPORE : Singapore has unveiled the masterplan for two of the three Gardens by the Bay, with two international design teams picked as joint winners.

When the Gardens open in 2010, they will cement Singapore's reputation as the Global City in a Garden.

The two designs were picked out of eight short-listed international firms. In January this year, Singapore's National Parks Board launched an international masterplan competition. It drew over 70 entries by 170 firms from 24 countries; 21 percent of them were Singapore firms.

Dr Kiat W Tan, Project Director, Gardens by the Bay, said, "In order for the jury to arrive at these two top teams, there are a number of criteria that they considered very carefully. One is how do-able is the design, how practical is it? Is it fantasy or is it practical enough to be done? Next is, will the designs meet the requirements of all our agencies...like URA, LTA and so forth. Third, are the teams capable of implementing the designs? Do they have the capacity? Are their staff large enough? Competent enough, can they do it? Are they able to manage the resources and deliver?

"So these are all the different aspects that have to be considered. And of course, most importantly, how attractive are the designs? Are they exciting? Or are they pleasing our senses in other ways? Will they satisfy the entire range of our public? These gardens are Green Mark gardens because it's one way in which we can say the whole Downtown, the new Marina Downtown that we're developing, will be very sensitive to the environment and to sustainability."

Instead of having one team undertake the entire project, the Government has picked two separate teams to develop the gardens jointly.

And the designs are as different and chalk and cheese. The Garden at Marina South, behind where the Marina Bay Integrated Resort is located, will be developed by England-based landscape architecture firm Grant Associates.

With its iconic 'Super Trees' structures, the Garden will wow visitors, especially the young and energetic, with its vibrancy and colourful blooms. Designers seek to produce a Garden that educates and entertains - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But the centrepiece will be two huge 'cooled conservatories', sitting on some 2.5 hectares of land on the waterfront.

The agencies are still working out its feasibility based on financial and environmental sustainability. But if built as planned, they will allow Singaporeans to walk amidst Mediterranean and exotic plants and flowers.

Across the harbour, offering a more serene, contemplative experience will be the Garden at Marina East. Its masterplan is awarded to world-renowned Paris-based landscape designer Gustafson Porter. This Garden will have an aquarium, a bird sanctuary, a watersports arena, and facilities for families to marvel at nature, enjoy the city skyline and sunset view.

As for the third garden in Marina Central, the Government has decided not to award any winner for the masterplan. Instead, it wants to hear what the public and Singaporeans have to say about the designs for the other two gardens, before deciding on how to build the third garden on the waterfront.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said, "We've not finalised the cost yet, because we're still doing the masterplan and the final costs will depend on what's involved in the detailed design. For example, if we have the cooled conservatory, that will add to the cost. If we put in different types of facilities, there'll be different costs. You have a people mover system, and that will be a different cost.

"So it all boils down to what goes into the final design. I think it'll be a few hundred millions, even for a basic garden or that size, that's already a few hundred millions of dollars. That's the kind of numbers we're talking about. But as I said, it really ultimately depends on how much we put into it and what kinds of facilities we do...and the quality of the facilities. But I'll expect that if you're talking about ballpark, three, four hundred million dollars is about the norm to develop a garden of this nature or a group of gardens of this nature."

The public can view the masterplan online or at an exhibition at the new Botany Centre at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Mr Mah said, "While we have decided on the winning masterplans, I would like to emphasise that these are not the final blueprints. Masterplans are concepts, and more work is still needed and ideas welcomed. Let me reiterate that the Gardens by the Bay is a major commitment by the Government towards building a distinctive global garden city in this place that we call home.

"The Gardens will be for all Singaporeans to enjoy, to own and to share with our family and friends. In a National Day survey conducted by the TODAY newspaper recently, the Gardens has been rated as the project Singaporeans are most excited about. I'm confident that together, we can create a collection of gardens in Marina Bay which all of us can truly be proud of."

Earlier, Mr Mah also officiated the opening of Tanglin Core, including the Botany Centre at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The Botany Centre houses the research and educational facilities of the Botanic Gardens. The enhanced facilities, which include the herbarium, laboratories and library, not only help connect plants and people, but also further the Gardens' position as a leading tropical botanic garden and institution for research and education. The Singapore Botanic Gardens receives about 3 million visitors annually. - CNA/ms

Today Online 7 Sep 06
The green thumbs-up
Joint winners announced for Marina South, Marina East gardens masterplan
Lee U-Wen and Tor Ching Li u-wen@newstoday.com.sg

TWO vastly contrasting masterplans — one showy, the other serene — have been chosen for Singapore's iconic Gardens by the Bay project after a nine-month international design competition.

To be completed in phases, with a final completion date of around 2010, the three gardens spanning 94 hectares are estimated to cost some "$300 million to 400 million", said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan at the launch of Tanglin Core at the Singapore Botanic Gardens yesterday.

Grant Associates' vibrant concept with eye-catching water and horticultural features will be used for the 54-ha Garden at Marina South. The 30-ha Garden at Marina East will feature London-based Gustafson Porter's design, which will exploit the water frontage and leaf forms to create a strongly-textured landscape and frame Singapore's city skyline.

Both UK-based landscape architecture firms beat 70 entries from 170-firms from 24 countries to clinch the coveted contracts. Eight short-listed teams of international design firms presented their submissions to an 11-member international jury last month.

Announcing the winners yesterday, Mr Mah said: "We have also accepted the jury's recommendation not to award any winner for the masterplan for the third garden at Marina Centre at this point in time. This will give us the flexibility to decide how to develop this last piece of the jigsaw puzzle after the other two gardens have taken shape."

He added that both masterplans, while distinct, would compliment each other. "We're hoping that the Marina East garden will carry the water theme into the South and Centre Gardens," said Mr Mah.

Emphasising an intimate relationship with the surrounding water bodies, the Marina East garden incorporates scores of viewing terraces for visitor s to appreciate nature and even have meals by the water, with stunning vistas of the city skyline. Situated just behind the upcoming Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, the Garden at Marina South will be replete with flowers, and feature two plant conservatories, a flower market, exhibition hall and a large open space with a retractable canopy where events — such as the biennial Singapore Garden Festival — can be held.

Members of the public are welcome to complete the missing pieces of the horticultural jigsaw. Visitors can view and give their feedback to the masterplans at the function hall of the new Botany Centre in Tanglin Core, on display until Sept 24.

Said Mr Mah: "The public's ideas and views will be taken into consideration as we proceed to the detailed design stage. Your participation will make the process more complete. "The final designs will create iconic gardens that will herald a new era in the future of garden and park development."

The jury said it will probably select a local firm for the Marina Centre design, and take into account input from the public for the final designs of all three gardens.

Said project director Dr Tan Wee Kiat: "We have more than 300 parks here, but gardens are a rarity for us. Here, we want to give our people the chance to feel that these parks belong to them, so we'll see how best we can use their feedback as we fine-tune the designs."

The final plans are expected to be ready by early next year, with the official groundbreaking in 2008. The first phase of the new gardens is expected to open by 2010.
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