My cameras have always seemed to lead me into some truly beautiful, fascinating and exciting places: Singapore is certainly all of those things.
The problem is that I frequently take photographs because the subject was beautiful or fascinating and I then am filled with a burning desire to learn everything that I can about that object so that my reading and researching ends-up absorbing more of my time than the taking and editing of the photographs.
Singapore’s Flower Dome, the neighbouring Cloud Forest and the Supertrees and especially the engineering and design-work which went into these structures were no exceptions.
Cloud Forest:
This biome was constructed to be an environment for the plants which are to be found growing at high altitudes on tropical mountains. The temperature is maintained in the mid 20°C during daytime and lower at night but humidity is very high and is maintained by mist-emitting jets and the waterfalls flowing from the 100-foot plant-encrusted mountain.
Maintaining those temperatures in tropical sunshine (just a few degrees from the equator) and under glass; requires considerable skills in architectural, engineering, and environmental design.
Numerous flowering plants and Tree Ferns surround hidden glades and more waterfalls.
An escalator inside the mountain takes you to the
Lost Garden on the summit.
This pond (supplied by pumps from the base of the falls) at the top is the source for the waterfalls.
Here they are growing orchids and bog plants including a grand collection of Carnivorous plants (Venus Fly Traps, Sundew, Sarracenia, Nepenthes and Heliamphora) which particularly intrigue and delight children.
Around the pond are several sculptures including some Totems from Papua and boats from East Timor.
Various exhibitions which have been installed inside the mountain such as this collection of stalagmites and mineral crystals. (These examples were all rescued from destruction prior to mining operations in different parts of the world.)
Little portholes provide peepholes through the plants growing outside.
You can explore the mountain more fully from the cantilevered walkways and enjoy the views of the surrounding gardens of the Singapore River and Marina Bay . . .
until the hidden water jets spring to life and fill the dome with mist.
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Grant Associates (the landscape architecture firm) headed the team which created these gardens on reclaimed land at the mouth of the Singapore River).
The team included Wilkinson Eyre—architects; Atelier Ten—environmental design consultants; Atelier One—structural engineers); Land Design Studio — museum and visitor centre designers; and Thomas Matthews — communication designers) and the following Links show how they constructed these buildings and have controlled, conserved, and recycled water and energy resources to bring their amazingly courageous and pioneering concept to fruition.
http://grant-associates.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/ga_resized/SNG233_N823a-carousel.jpghttp://www.solaripedia.com/13/416/6653/gardens_by_the_bay_cloud_forest.htmlhttps://www.atelierten.com/articles/in-depth-gardens-by-the-bay/http://grant-associates.uk.com/http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/cooled-conservatories-gardens-by-the-bay
