6 March 2006
Creating a "City-in-a-garden"
Landscape Master Plan to create a multicoloured, multi-sensory environment at Marina Bay
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board (NParks) today announced a landscape master plan to create a multicoloured, multi-sensory environment at MarinaBay that will reinforce its sense of place and further enhance its image as a “City-in-a-Garden”.
The Landscape Master Plan will complement the three new Gardens at Marina South, Marina East and Marina Centre by guiding the tree and shrub planting along key routes and within public open spaces in the Marina Bay area.
Streets with identity
Unique planting schemes combining different tree and shrub species will help to differentiate the individual districts and provide a sense of place and orientation.
Distinctive Boulevards
The main boulevards will be distinguished by large ‘signature’ wide-canopied trees to create a distinctly formal feel for these streets, much like the Champs Elysées in Paris. The trees will line both sides of Marina Boulevard and Central Boulevard, which will link to the existing Central Business District (CBD). Buildings along these roads will be set back to allow additional trees and a wider walkway for pedestrians and more street-based activities, such as ‘al fresco’ dining.
Smaller, light foliage trees - Caesalpinia ferrea (common name : Brazilian Iron Wood) - next to the walkways will provide pedestrians with a ‘dappled’ shading effect and create a pleasant walking experience. Formal shrub planting - Ixora Super Pink and Ixora Super Orange mixed with Wrightia religiosa - will provide different colour schemes for each of the roads with distinctive fragrances.
Signature Street
Bayfront Avenue will be a signature street lined with columnar shaped trees - Dyera costulata (common name: Jelutong) and Hopea odorata (common name: ChengalPasir) to respond to the street’s north-south orientation and allow more sunlight to filter down to street level, whilst still providing shade. These will be complemented by Pseuderanthemum Pink shrub planting to give a reddish “carpet” effect at street level.
Iconic Gateway
Driving into MarinaBay will be a memorable experience. The signature, wide-canopied Rain Trees along the East Coast Parkway will be extended along Sheares Avenue, creating an iconic image for the area. Brightly-coloured flowering shrubs such as Crinum spp., Hippeastrum spp. will also be used to mark the gateway into the area.
Multi-layered sensory experience
The planting schemes extend beyond just providing green foliage and shade. Varying trees, plants, leaf and flower forms, as well as different colours and fragrances, will be specially chosen to create a garden-setting experience for visitors.
At the city level, the form and colour of the tree crowns will provide a recognisable image for each of the roads. At the street level, the colours and fragrances of these flowers will provide a delightful visual and sensory experience.
Colours by the bay
Visitors can look forward to enjoy a visual treat with different colour planting schemes throughout MarinaBay.
A Yellow/Gold theme has been chosen for the Central sub-zone, next to the existing CBD – a reference to the business of “wealth creation” in the area. Yellow Rain Trees will be planted along both sides of the linear public open space, extending throughout the whole of the Central sub-zone. Yellow flowers will also be used within the open space and along adjacent roads.
The district around Marina Bay Station will adopt a Pink (denoting “happiness”) colour theme. Pink flowering trees - Plumeria spp. (common name : Frangipanni) and Tabebuia rosea (common name : Pink Poui) - will be planted along the roads and around the major public open space.
Within the Bayfront area, the planting will have a green colour theme, representing “harmony”. Palms of different forms will be planted on each of the roads, extending the botanical planting scheme of the future Garden at MarinaSouth throughout the district and onto the waterfront promenade around MarinaBay.
A place for the peopleIn addition to the future Gardens, two new public open spaces will provide additional respite to the urban environment, allowing visitors and residents views of the Bay and the surrounding buildings.
A linear park, some 3.8 hectares in size (more than two times that of War Memorial Park) will stretch for 700 metres to provide a visual and physical link connection between the district at Central sub-zone and the waterfront at Marina Bay. Another 3.2 hectare public open space will be located immediately above the existing Marina Bay MRT station, providing a major focal point for the surrounding developments. These spaces will be linked by lushly planted walkways to the 3.5km-long waterfront promenade around the Bay and the three new Gardens.
Please refer to Annex 1 for visuals on the Landscape Master Plan.
Exhibition details
The public can view details of the landscaping strategy for MarinaBay in an exhibition at The URA Centre from Tuesday, 7 March till Friday, 31 March 2006. Opening hours are: Mon - Fri, 9.00 am – 7.00 pm; Sat, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free.
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