Bath-based landscape architecture practice Grant Associates is to co-design a new ‘living laboratory’ science centre in Singapore 10 years after it helped create the city-state’s world-renowned Gardens by the Bay.
The 101-hectare (250-acre) gardens in central Singapore have become a national icon, boasting the largest glass greenhouse in the world, while its Supertrees, 18 tree-like structures, dominate the landscape with heights of up to 50m.
Now Grant Associates, which has an office in Singapore, has been selected by renown Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) as part of its multidisciplinary bid team for its designs for the new Singapore Science Centre.
The building is designed to provide unique opportunities for all Singaporeans to access science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to allow guests to interact with the surrounding Jurong Lake Gardens.
It will incorporate five volumes that appear to float above the surrounding parkland, large windows serving as ‘monocles’ are installed in each structure to provide strategic views of the lake and enhance the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.
The project, next to the Chinese Garden MRT station, is aimed to open its doors in 2027, coinciding with the institution’s 50th anniversary.
As landscape consultants, Grant Associates role is to enrich the development by creating meaningful opportunities to engage with the landscape through a scientific lens. The landscape will also look to enhance the sense of place, connecting building and lake.
The centre will educate guests about sustainable practices, including the versatility and possibilities of vertical growing systems, through programmes and exhibits.
The project will also include a new eco-garden, an observatory where budding astronomers can learn about the universe, a digital fabrication lab with incubator programs that foster entrepreneurial ambitions, and a makerspace for young inventors to bring their imaginations to life. A new outdoor activity space will be a focal point of the centre, offering STEM programs and community activities.
The project is based on sustainable design principles and energy performance strategies to reduce net carbon emissions, with outdoor spaces shaded but exposed to prevailing winds and photovoltaics and insulating rooftop gardens contributing towards renewable energy goals.
Science Center Board chief executive, associate professor Lim Tit Meng, said: “Our ambition for the centre is to be a truly rewarding destination for all ages and abilities.
“The universal design principles of the new building will facilitate equal opportunities for all visitors, regardless of demographic or learning abilities.”
Grant Associates associate director Toby Kyle added: “This is a hugely exciting project to be a part of.
“We envisage an outdoor, living laboratory where the wonders of science and nature are celebrated within a regenerative and accessible landscape framework.”
Other design members include Singapore-based Architects 61 and London-based environmental design consultants Atelier Ten.
Grant Associates has worked on major projects in the Far East, Australia and the UK, including supporting Bath’s Forest of Imagination community arts event. It also won the Best Show Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021.
