We spent most of the morning and a few hours in the afternoon exploring Singapore for a layover on our flight from Mumbai to Los Angeles.
While I am always impressed by the country’s organization and meticulous planning, this time, my experience impressed me from a different angle—the active awareness of environmental sustainability and appreciation for the diversity of the plants and vegetation on our planet.
We went to Gardens by the Bay and enjoyed views of Singapore from the boat-shaped rooftop of the Marina Bay Sands building. When we saw the Jewel—a giant circular waterfall at the Changi Airport—I felt the continuity again with the theme of climate awareness and appreciation.
Gardens by the Bay
We started with the Supertree Grove, where giant tree sculptures are probably 150-200 feet tall. A walkway at a higher elevation connects the tree sculptures. It was around 10 AM, and my body was still adjusting to the tropical humidity. The activity level hadn’t picked up yet. We enjoyed the views of Marina Bay. I felt the appreciation and scale of the Supertrees more when we had a nice view of them from the top of Marina Bay Sands, the iconic building with a design of three towers topped by what they call the Skypark.
The dome-shaped buildings towards the left in the image are giant conservatories that house what they call Cloud Forest. The Cloud Forest has several levels, each emulating climate conditions from different parts of the world. The aerial walkways provide an excellent opportunity to get close-up views of the most exotic plant species.
There is incredible depth to the research and organization of the conservatory. While I am an engineer, I grew up on the campus of an Agriculture University. Growing up, conversations with my pappa about research in horticulture and botany always fascinated me. How they have simulated different climate environments and cultivated plant species for each in the Cloud Forest is incredible. Countless wallboards, illustrations, and infographics explain a wide range of plant species & their native climate conditions—the impact of global warming and how it impacts plants on the planet was an eye-opener.
The waterfall inside the Cloud Forest is almost as tall as the conservatory.
The vision and story behind the Gardens are fascinating. The combination of architectural ingenuity and the depth and scale of plant cultivation left a lasting impression on me.
We rushed back to Changi Airport. We saw the Jewel—a mind-blowing, giant circular dome with water falling from the center. The plantation on the walls around the space and the overall experience drove home for me yet again the connection to Mother Nature.