This is how Singapore does vertical biophilic urbanism
What makes this high-rise building in Singapore different from all the other tall buildings around the world? Not only is this one of the tallest towers in Singapore, but it also honors the natural world and the history of the city around it. The design was created by BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group and CRA, Carlo Ratti Associati.
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The CapitaSpring building is a new addition to the Singapore skyline. There are apartments and sky gardens throughout the building, all the way up to the 51st floor. The building is in the heart of the financial district. It used to be a public parking lot, now, it’s a towering building that stands at 918 feet, which is about 65 feet shorter than the Eiffel Tower.
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Inside, the building has office space, restaurants, public spaces and residences. It is called a biophilic skyscraper, according to Tan Yew Chin, CEO of CLD, CapitaLand Development, the owning company.
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“With CapitaSpring, we are setting a new benchmark for the office of the future by bringing a premium, multi-faceted workplace experience to building occupants, complemented by our core-flex solutions that cater to the increasing adoption of hybrid work strategies,” Chin said.
The base of the tower houses the City Room, which is 59 feet tall. Meandering paths take visitors to the room and into separate lobbies. The paths also lead toward dining and shopping areas, particularly the Market Street Hawker Center. This is housed on the second and third floors and has 56 food stalls.
Furthermore, Singapore has a reputation for being a garden city and the CapitaSpring fits beautifully into that overall design. The building also fits into the existing cityscape. On the ground level entrance, part of the historic Market Street has been restored and the landscaping area has been expanded, creating new green breathing spaces.
“On top, an urban forest feeds all the restaurants and cafes in the building and allows visitors to enjoy the lushness of the summit. Capitaspring is like a vision of a future in which city and countryside, culture and nature can coexist,” said BIG founding partner Bjarke Ingels.
Four connected levels at the heart of the building create the “green oasis,” an open-air garden area. Meanwhile, the rooftop garden is home to the tallest urban farm in Singapore…for now, anyways. There are more than 150 different types of fruits, herbs, vegetables and flowers growing in the space.
Best of all, the building has Green Mark Platinum and Universal Design GoldPLUS Certifications from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore for all its green features. The design mimics the tropical rainforest, with leaf growth arranged in direct proportion to light availability within the different green layers. Shade-tolerant plants are in the rainforest floor area. Up toward the roof, smaller leaves grow on plants that enjoy the sunlight.