The Newly Enhanced National Orchid Garden

The newly enhanced national orchid garden by CPG consultants offers the experience of walking through both the terrestrial and arboreal zones of a high-elevation montane forest.

- Sasha Gonzales

In 2015, the National Parks Board announced a design competition for the enhancement of the then-20-year-old National Orchid Garden, located within the SingaporeBotanic Gardens.

The brief: To strengthen the Botanic Gardens’ role in orchid conservation, breeding, and research, as well as redefine the visitor experience, making it more meaningful and leaving visitors with a greater appreciation of orchids.

Local firm CPG Consultants won the competition. Lead architect Wong Wai Ying began work on the preliminary design in November 2015 and finalized the concept in September 2016.

The new-look National Orchid Garden was officially opened in April this year.

A BETTER EXPERIENCE

The project saw the enhancement of the Garden’s Sembcorp Cool House and the redevelopment of the Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad House and Tan Hoon Siang Mist House to form the brand-new Tropical Montane Orchidetum.

Since the existing single-level Cool House was deemed too small to showcase the variety of orchids and plant displays, Wong added to it, constructing a new section and integrating it with the existing one.

She designed the new Cool House to emulate a high-elevation montane forest with a temperature-controlled glass enclosure.