My Visit To Gardens By The Bay (Part 2)

Posted by : foongpc | Thursday, April 18, 2013 | Published in

ADVERTISEMENT


Continued from Part 1

I followed the girl from behind but then she suddenly disappeared from my view. Where did she go?

I looked to my right and left but could not find her. Maybe she's a ghost? Who knows? But that did not really matter for what was ahead of me looked more interesting. I realized I was on another bridge.

 photo P1180809_zps2a27c1d7.jpg

This bridge has an amazing design. I thought it looked beautiful against Marina Bay Sands in the background!

 photo P1180810_zps725ba4f1.jpg

Could not resist taking more shots of this unique bridge. LOL!

 photo P1180811_zps56f3b0d9.jpg

Such gloomy weather but it was breezy and cool - perfect for a walk in the outdoors!

 photo P1180812_zps0cf45142.jpg

That's the Supertrees on the right side.

 photo P1180814_zpseff9f611.jpg

Stepping off the bridge, I soon came upon the Web Of Life section, complete with green plants shaped in the form of animals like pangolin, hornbills, orangutan and more. No, I did not bother to take pictures of each of the animals, in case you are wondering : )

 photo P1180817_zps7c3c9062.jpg

Then I came to an area called Fruits and Flowers which had interesting information about well, fruits and flowers!

 photo P1180819_zps2b7d3a48.jpg

Again, I did not read every single information on display - that would have taken too much time!

 photo P1180821_zpsac524507.jpg

Somehow, I was attracted to the beautiful drain cover. LOL!

 photo P1180822_zps1e1c025c.jpg

At that moment, a Garden Cruiser passed by. OK, I am going to ride on that Garden Cruiser the next time I visit here! Haha! Wonder if my friend Jim was on that Garden Cruiser. In any case, even if he was, we sure did not notice each other! LOL!

 photo P1180824_zps3074c45f.jpg

I did not know how long I wandered around the gardens but soon, I reached the Supertree Grove.

 photo P1180829_zpse2196e6d.jpg

The Supertree Grove is where the cluster of uniquely designed tree-like structures called Supertrees stand. They dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range from 25 to 50 metres, or about 16 storeys high.

These Supertrees are also knows as Vertical Gardens as more than 162,900 plants comprising more than 200 species and varieties of bromeliads, orchids, vines, ferns and tropical flowering climbers are planted on them.

 photo P1180830_zps50b586b3.jpg

There are altogether 18 Supertrees in Gardens by the Bay, 12 of which are in this Supertree Grove area, 3 more at the Golden Garden and the remaining 3 at the Silver Garden. Refer to the map HERE.

Did you know that these amazing Supertrees perform many functions? They are not built just to look nice! Besides providing scale and dimension to the Gardens, the tall trees also serve to balance the tall developments in the Marina Bay area.

 photo P1180832_zps1ce0aabc.jpg

But the most amazing part of the Supertrees is that they are embedded with environmentally sustainable functions like photovoltaic cells to harness solar energy which are used for lighting up the trees at night!

Not only that, the Supertrees also collect rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays in the Gardens, just like how real trees absorb rainwater for growth.

 photo P1180839_zps9290f46e.jpg

Remember the Cooling Conservatories I mentioned in Part 1? The two giant glass buildings which I visited later were cooled naturally with the help of the Supertrees. These trees are integrated with the Conservatories and serve as air exhaust receptacles.

 photo P1180846_zps35469c15.jpg

So as you can see, the Supertrees not only function as a vertical garden, providing shades in the daytime and lighting up the sky at night, they also work as environmental engines for the entire Gardens by the Bay. How awesome is that!

 photo P1190063_zps9d8b1221.jpg

In fact, the whole Gardens by the Bay were designed with the principles of environmental sustainability in mind. This post will be way too long if I attempt to explain how it is all done. Perhaps this diagram below (please click to enlarge) can give a better illustration.



















Notice that even the lakes play a role in the whole grand scheme of things! You can read more about the important functions of the lake system HERE.

 photo P1180837_zps6fbececc.jpg

A 128-metre long elevated walkway called the OCBC Skyway connects two Supertrees at this Supertree Grove.

 photo P1180849_zps22d988d3.jpg

I did not walk the Skyway as there was a long queue of people lining up for it!

 photo P1180858_zps0fc2aec4.jpg

By the way, there is also a bistro on top of the highest Supertree where you can dine or chill out with unobstructed view of the Gardens and Marina Bay. I did not go up there but I definitely will do so on my next visit!

 photo P1180861_zps72c20860.jpg

During the night, there is a spectacular music and light show at the Supertree Grove. Called the OCBC Garden Rhapsody, this 10 minute show is shown twice every night at 7.45pm and 8.45pm.

 photo P1180850_zps4b332c42.jpg

Since I did not go up the Skyway, I decided to head towards the Cooling Conservatories, which had came highly recommended before my trip to Singapore.

 photo P1180862_zpsbbdf4156.jpg

Along the way, I was fascinated by this water-sprouting lion head. I guess these two children were equally fascinated.

 photo P1180863_zpsacf690ee.jpg

It was quite strange to see a lion head in the middle of all those plants and bushes.

 photo P1180865_zpse191c939.jpg

I thought it was a pleasant attraction especially for kids!

 photo P1180869_zps39014794.jpg

I took a photo of the lion from another angle. Many people later shared my fascination and took photos of it too. LOL!

 photo P1180868_zpsbcf30c06.jpg

Leaving the Supertree Grove, I glanced back and saw two lion statues guarding the entrance.

 photo P1180874_zpsffb6fb12.jpg

It had been a fun filled morning at Gardens by the Bay. My only regret was not staying long enough to see the Supertree Grove all lighted up at night! I am quite sure it will be a very beautiful sight to behold.

 photo P1180848_zps4e85d63a.jpg

So yes, I will definitely return to Gardens by the Bay and spend the entire day here!

But wait! I am not finished yet with my Gardens by the Bay post. There is still the super amazing Cloud Forest and Flower Dome (the 2 Cooling Conservatories) which won World Building Of The Year at the World Architecture Festival 2012, so stay tuned! : )