Singapore is known for its stunning architecture and lush greenery.
As a tourist in Singapore, you’ll quickly learn that there are many iconic buildings. From the
In recent years, Singapore has made a concerted effort to integrate plants into its architectural designs to combine the best of both worlds.
Here are some examples of nature and architecture working together in Singapore.
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, which may earn me a commission at no extra cost to you. For more details, check our policy.
Pan Pacific Orchard
Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s iconic Orchard Road, the Pan Pacific Orchard is a testament to luxury and nature-inspired design. This architectural marvel, designed by the acclaimed WOHA Architects, is a vertical green oasis amidst the urban sprawl. The hotel, which has been eagerly awaited, opened its doors to the public five years after the original structure was taken down. Located at 10 Claymore Road, it is the newest flagship of the Pan Pacific Hotels Group in Singapore.
The 23-story, 347-room hotel is a blend of modernity and nature. It boasts four open-air terraces named Forest, Beach, Garden, and Cloud, each offering a unique ambiance and experience. These terraces are a nod to Orchard Road’s history, once lined with fruit orchards and plantations. The terraces are interconnected by massive green columns adorned with creeper plants, creating a visual spectacle.
Guests are welcomed by the Forest Terrace, featuring a cascading waterfall and a dense tropical forest ambiance. The Beach Terrace on the fifth floor offers an island escape with a lagoon pool surrounded by palm groves. The Garden Terrace provides a serene garden setting, while the Cloud Terrace on the 18th floor is perfect for events, boasting a panoramic view of the city skyline.
The hotel’s interiors reflect the theme of each terrace. For instance, Beach Terrace rooms mimic a beach experience with timber paneling and sandy-toned finishings, while Garden Terrace rooms are adorned in hues of green. The Cloud Terrace rooms, located on the higher floors, capture the ethereal essence of the clouds.
Pan Pacific Orchard is not just about luxury stays; it’s also a culinary destination. The hotel houses three distinct dining concepts, including Mosella, an all-day restaurant offering Mediterranean cuisine with a Peruvian twist. The hotel also plans to introduce an Atelier-in-Residence program showcasing Singaporean brands epitomizing craft and innovation.
Address: 10 Claymore Road, Singapore 229540
Nearest MRT Station: Orchard
Tinesh and Amos at the reception were absolutely wonderful and took the extra effort to make our stay extremely memorable.
We can’t wait to come back again hopefully for the grand prix in October!
I believe people like her are a major reason why guests return to certain hotels not just for the facilities but for the people who make them feel valued and taken care of. I truly appreciated her help and hospitality and hope the hotel management recognizes the amazing job she’s doing. Five stars for outstanding service!
The reception at the beginning of the holiday was very nice and friendly. The hotel itself cannot be beaten in terms of service and hospitality. One of the managers (Joel) was very accommodating and willing to accommodate our requests.
Our every wish was also met in the Club Pacific Lounge. Many thanks to the team – Jayette, Sidd, Seoin, Blair, Anil, Edlyn (hope spelled correctly.)
We also had very nice encounters with dear Glory.
She took great care of us. The breakfast was gigantic. We really enjoyed the entire 11 day stay.
GLADLY AGAIN !
Kind regards to everyone from Anke and Elke!
Oasia Hotel Downtown
Located in the bustling city of Singapore, architecture firm WOHA designed the Oasia Hotel Downtown with an exterior that includes 21 species of climbing plants on its facade.
The goal of the design of this structure is to respond to the concrete uniformity of Singapore’s business district.
The primary architect from WOHA Architecture says that their focus was sustainability against consumption by designing an ecosystem with flowers and vines to attract fauna like insects or squirrels.
Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola designed the building’s furniture and interior.Â
The structure’s exterior has about 60 levels’ worth of green walls added to the red building’s original appearance.
The plants get watered via rainfall, which helps keep them healthy without using any mechanical ventilation, as other buildings might require.
The building’s design also includes four communal sky gardens that allow for natural ventilation of public spaces instead of air conditioning.
It is essential because it provides an environment where plants, trees, and water features can thrive, attracting insects and birds to the elevated planting areas within each garden.
Address: 100 Peck Seah Street, Singapore 079333
Nearest MRT Station: Tanjong Pagar
Well located for Chinatown and near to the MRT. We would highly recommend and visit again.
Staff and service was excellent.
Lucas at concierge desk very helpful, and gave excellent service. Food and drinks were excellent and service always with a smile. All the other staff are good too. More service at club will be great.
It had a relaxing atmosphere, better pool, excellent pilates and massage sessions (complimentary), and the happy hour was such a luxury!
The room itself was well appointed, modern, clean and spacious enough for a couple. Serviced daily to perfection!
All staff were friendly, professional and attentive. I will definitely be back – location just outside the MRT and very central to walk to many locations (if you can stand the heat!)
has a pool on the rooftop area
has a breakfast dining
i would rate it 4 stars
comfortable clean room
has a small basic gym
very clean
good for a short stay eg a business trip
not far from chinatown area which is good
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
Between the blocks of guest rooms, spacious curvy sky gardens draped in tropical plants and supported by frangipani and palm trees cantilevered at every fourth level.
The grounds of the venue are green, and so are the flourishes within. The trees and gardens of the hotel blend in with those from the adjacent park.
The WOHA-designed hotel contains 15,000 square meters of sustainable sky gardens, waterfalls, and planter walls that provide a breathable environment for hotel guests.
The 637-room hotel won the “2013 Best of Year Award for Hotel Common Space”.
With the verdant greenery and fluid lines, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering stands apart among low historic shophouses in Chinatown with its ‘hotel-in garden’ design.
Inside you’ll find green walls plated by waterfalls for relaxation or outdoor dining onsite near these eco-conscious designers’ masterpieces.
Sky gardens are also environmentally friendly, using solar cells, motion sensors, rainwater harvesting, and reclaimed water to function.
The design for this hotel was intended to have an E-shaped plan, with all guest rooms facing northward towards the park or sky gardens while also providing views of these spaces from each room.
Services were placed on the southern side so guests could easily access them when they enter/exit its external connecting corridors.
Address: 3 Upper Pickering Street, Singapore 058289
Nearest MRT Station: Clarke Quay
We love how lovely the Personal is and the experience to see the future of green hotels.
The special breakfast for the excutive Appartements is exeptional in a very smooth Environment.
The service was professional and prompt, with friendly and helpful staff.
The location is ideal, as it’s close to major attractions and events, making it easy to get around and enjoy the trip.
I highly recommend staying here, whether for leisure or business.
The building is spectacular—it feels like being in a tropical forest with all the lush greenery. The staff are truly outstanding and go out of their way to look after the guests.
We would like to specifically give credit to Head of Security, Sylvester, and his assistant, Han, for going the extra mile.
At 1 AM, I realized I had lost my bracelet in the swimming pool area, and they immediately took action. Han dived into the problem—I mean literally dived into the pool—and came out soaking wet, holding the lost bracelet.
This kind of dedication and genuine care is what makes a stay unforgettable. We can’t wait to see what the next few days will bring. So far, it’s been nothing but exceptional.
props to Fadz reccomended places for us to visit, uncle ang helped us with our sofa bed and bought us extra to make us extra comfortable! Jeff bought us sweet treats and snacks for us! Raja and Brent sent our luggage up to the room. Ana was very kind and helpful as she recommended us the delicious food and drinks in the club lounge
Everyone was friendly and welcoming! From the beginning to the end of my stay especially fadz from concierge, murli, brent, raja for delivering our luggage’s up to the room. They also took note that i was celebrating my birthday and sent some treats to the room by Jeff. The driveway has a very friendly and cheerful man who always greet us whenever we come back to the hotel (Wong). The team at the club lounge was awesome especially Ana, Dong, Jenisah and the chefs. Uncle Ang from housekeeping too!
Lovely stay! Would highly recommend.
Jewel Changi Airport
The complex was designed by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie of the famous Safdie Architects company, with Peter Walker and Partners as the landscape architect.Â
Built over the former open-air car park in front of Changi Airport Terminal 1. The Jewel development added 70% more space to Terminal 1’s arrival hall and baggage claim areas. It increased the handling capacity from 21 to 24 million passengers a year.
Jewel comprises gardens, attractions, a hotel, 300 retails, eating establishments, and early baggage check-in aviation services.
Located at the heart of the mall, the indoor garden Shiseido Forest Valley has a spectacular indoor waterfall (HSBC Rain Vortex) and lush green space with an exquisite floral layout.
The eye-catching waterfall feature, which holds the world’s tallest indoor waterfall title, is 40 meters high and collects rainwater for reuse.
The mall features over 2,000 trees and palms with 100,000 shrubs lining its tiered gardens, encouraging you to take time out from your shopping trip to enjoy this lush environment.
Address: 78 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819666
Nearest MRT Station: Changi Airport
Jewel Changi is an experience in itself with a multi story mall with high-end shopping and restaurants…the draw here more than anything is the Waterfall Vortex in Terminal 2.
It’s free to view, but an additional cost to experience more attractions within the oasis, the rainforest area surrounding the waterfall is so glorious, you almost don’t want to leave…visitors from all around the globe has already agreed…it’s definitely worth the title.
Experience Jewel and explore architectural marvels, a lush indoor forest with over 2,000 trees and 100,000 shrubs, alongside exclusive shopping and dining. Enjoy stunning views and Canopy Park access, enriching your visit to this must-see Singapore destination.
Marina One
Named one of Asia’s most innovative buildings for its creativity in blending commercial space with residential living quarters seamlessly without any distractions or obstructions while sustainable.
Marina One’s unique architectural louvers, inspired by Asian rice terraces in a valley, allow greater air circulation and improved microclimate thanks to the ‘City in a Garden’ concept.
The characteristic louvers and extensive greenery improve the microclimate and enhance biodiversity. In contrast, the organic form of the building cluster with its iconic louvers contributes to this.
The award-winning Marina One is a Certified LEED Platinum and BCA Greenmark development designed by Ingenhoven Architects. They collaborate with Gustafson Porter + Bowman and ICN Design International as landscape architects.
The complex has two 750-foot tall office towers and two 475-foot residential buildings connected on lower levels by an open podium. It embraces spacious gardens with tropical plants worldwide.Â
The garden includes over 350 varieties of trees and plants, with 700 trees planted in a landscaped area of 37,000 square meters.
Address: 5 Straits View, The Heart, Singapore 018935
Nearest MRT Station: Marina Bay, Downtown, Shenton Way
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Located at the Kent Ridge Campus within the National University of Singapore, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is a natural history museum. Â
It houses the world’s most complete collection of specimens from Southeast Asia.
The W Architects-designed building exterior includes a six-story cliff-like fissure opening that contains a variety of plants native to Singapore. The plants were chosen from species that thrive in Singapore’s seaside cliffs.
Two reasons influenced the museum’s rock-like shape – the exhibition and storage of non-light-friendly specimens and future growth.
Because of the museum-wide programmatic requirements for preserving artifacts, the structure had to be a nearly windowless monolithic block.
The museum has a variety of interactive exhibits with grasses, such as freshwater mangroves, palms, and other indigenous blooming plants.
The walks of the gardens guide passers-by to stop and appreciate the plants on their route between the structures.
A phylogenetic garden and a beach-like environment with interactive mangrove pools can also be found on the museum’s eastern side.
Address:Â 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377
Nearest MRT Station: Clementi
The utilization rate is very good. If you are passing by, you can visit it.
Not many people know about this place. None of the travel vlogs I’ve seen so much as mention it, but it’s a great place especially for kids. The volunteer staff are very knowledge and will gladly answer questions and share insights into the specimens. If you have young kids don’t miss this place.
Carry water with you as there are no shops nearby and F&B at the museum is expensive.
Don’t buy the animal/bird postcards from the museum shop. The same are SGD1 cheaper at the Bird Paradise.
