Green in the Grey: Environmental Architecture in Singapore by Rachel Singh

Introduction: The environment has been quickly subdued to the industrial presence over the past centuries, enough to endanger the world we live in. The importance of urban gardening has become widespread throughout the world, and has been adapted as one of many of the methods to combat global climate change. The works of the photographers Yana Marudova, Douglas Sanchez and Oleksii Drozdov portray the creative ways in which the environment can live in harmony with the bustling cities, the ever-growing need for creative ways to make money, and for living spaces, thus allowing for a healthier, cleaner environment.

Theme: The pictures I am discussing address the themes of juxtaposing industrial architecture and nature, as well as nature in remarkable places. Marudova, Sanchez, and Drozdov’s images all display both of these themes across the board, with all of the architectural feats detailed below requiring an immense amount of knowledge and appreciation on both architecture and nature.

Analysis:

What would normally be a bustling, grey environment filled with people trying to get where they need to be, Jewel Changi Airport’s center stands out with a waterfall and a beautiful garden. What originally was an Air Force base, Changi Airport officially opened in 1981 after World War II. It was a relatively successful airport but was not expanded into Jewel Changi Airport until 2018, including the waterfall seen in the picture taken by Marudova and shopping centers (Singapore Infopedia). Today, Jewel Changi Airport is seen as a leader in aviation luxury, and it continues to expand due to the rising demand in tourism to Singapore, as well as the rest of Asia (Travel and Leisure). Perhaps it can be said that Jewel Changi Airport is not only a leader in luxury aviation, but also is an example of how nature can be incorporated in today’s most industrial, most functional urban buildings. In my opinion, having nature in such a remarkable place allows others to brainstorm ideas on other buildings where nature could be incorporated, maybe banks or corporate offices. As seen in Marudova’s photo, the futuristic industrial nature of the airport’s architecture mixed beautifully with the nature shows how it remains possible to incorporate nature anywhere, in any serious and secure business.

The captivating and record-breaking Cloud Forest in Singapore continues to be a feat of unparalleled environmental architecture. The Cloud Forest development began in 2006 with hundreds of people giving proposals and plans over the course of two years (Gardens by the Bay). The Cloud Forest is a top-of-the-line depiction of forests around the world, climate controlled to feel like an actual forest, and is fully covered. There are plants and trees from every part of the world, which display the architectural and engineering feats to include such diverse nature in a hot, tropical climate like Singapores’. The Cloud Forest brings in people from all over the world during any month of the year to see plants that normally would only be seen during certain seasons and certain select places, generating great exposure for Singapore as well as for the rare populations of plants all year round (BBC Travel). Singapore producing this structure demonstrates just how much of a leader in engineering and environmental architecture they are, as well as how much the developers of the Cloud Forest appreciate nature itself. The photograph by Sanchez displays a futuristic tourist attraction that has incredible lighting and a multitude of trees and plants, as well as a towering accomplishment of architectural design. Perhaps in the future this image can be seen as one of the many ways in which nature can be a global captivation and tourist attraction, bringing in both money and support for a environmental accomplishments.

Constructed with the idea of incorporating nature with living spaces, The Eden Tower in the Draycott Park residential development has private balconies for every apartment which have their own private gardens, as well as a private garden for the whole building on the roof of the apartment building. According to the lead designer of The Eden Tower Thomas Heatherwick, it was designed with the intention of nature being a direct component of living in an apartment space, rather than being a compliment to ones interior designing (The Rake). When looking at Drozdov’s photograph of Eden Tower, it is obvious that the apartment does not appear as a normal looking living space, but instead the very design of it promotes nature to be the centerpiece of the image. Despite this building representing luxury living in Singapore, I hope that other options of having nature built in the very design of one’s living space will be created for those who cannot afford such luxury. It is easy to say Drozdov’s image is simply of a creatively designed example of environmental architecture, but it also can represent the very mindset the future must adopt in order to reverse the adverse effects of climate change in urban cities.

Application: These depictions of these architectural feats in Singapore are crucial to understanding how we as humankind can incorporate nature into our daily lives, whether it be going to the airport, sight-seeing, or living in a high rise. Not only does incorporating nature into architecture as a whole improve the lives of those around it, generating a less depressed population and an overall more positive one, it also supports reversing the environmental damage we as humankind have done. Having nature be in unsuspecting, surprising places promotes others to see where nature could be incorporated into their lives in the future, however industrial and urban. If the rest of the world adopted the idea of having the environment involved with architecture like the examples provided, we would live in a much cleaner climate, however small or large. Although a small country, Singapore is undoubtedly a leader in attempting to move towards urban gardening and environmental architecture, and there continues to be a hope that other major countries will follow by example. These few examples I have provided are ways in which the threats evident to our climate can be solved in creative, lucrative and smart ways, allowing everyone to be on board with the need for greener architecture in massive urban cities.