Nature. Nurture. Future

Singapore will present its vision of a sustainable, liveable and resilient city at Expo 2020 Dubai

Singapore’s innovative urban solutions and culture will be presented on the global stage at the upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai. Situated within the Sustainability District, the Singapore Pavilion will present a microcosm of the nation’s transformed landscape.

Underscoring Singapore’s vision of shaping itself into a liveable, sustainable and resilient city of the future through the smart integration of design, technology and nature, the pavilion will profile Singapore’s experience and expertise in developing and implementing urban innovations and showcase the country’s continued commitment towards building a sustainable future. It also serves as a platform for the cross-pollination of ideas to build future cities that balances the needs of their people and environments.

Singapore’s sustainability story

Designed by Singapore-based architectural practice WOHA, the pavilion represents the nation’s efforts to be a City in Nature, and how this vision can also be realised anywhere through smart and sustainable urban solutions.

This vision unfurls itself through the different spaces of the Pavilion that visitors can explore.

Upon entering the Ground Garden, visitors will be welcomed by a garden landscape, with a phytoremediation pond nestled among a lush array of plants, trees, shrubs, including Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid. Boasting an open plan, the architecture interacts seamlessly with the environment, helping visitors to envision how nature can be integrated and restored in urban settings.

Visitors will journey through three verdant thematic cones — Rainforest Cone, City Cone, and Flower Cone — each housing key exhibits that showcase Singapore’s transformational journey, solutions to urban issues, as well as efforts in creating a sustainable future for our people. The three cones are connected by a meandering, gently-sloping Canopy Walk capped with a hanging garden of draping vines, re-creating the atmosphere of the lush tropical urban landscape of Singapore.

Incorporating regenerative design for long-term sustainability

To reflect the country’s guiding ethos of sustainable development, the pavilion, which is built on a small 1,550 sq m site, is designed to have minimal impact on the environment through its lifecycle. It is designed to be a self-sufficient ecosystem, to achieve net-zero energy during the six-month event period via the use of solar panels, management of energy and desalination of saline groundwater.

The pavilion showcases how the built environment can help to increase biodiversity, provide more space for trees and other greenery, and play a pivotal part in combating climate change, even in a desert environment. It also integrates landscaping into its design, showing that the built environment does not need to displace nature but can, in fact, co-exist with it.

The regenerative design approach aims to repair and restore the ecosystem and biodiversity, and to create an environment in which humans can live harmoniously with nature. The architecture combines technological and natural systems, with nodes and layers forming symbiotic relationships between engineering, technology, plant life and organic processes. Echoing Singapore’s vision of becoming a City in Nature, the pavilion demonstrates the seamless integration and co-existence of nature and buildings and shows a captivating and forward-looking Singapore that is sociable, sustainable and liveable, via its delightful, relaxing spaces where visitors can unwind and connect with nature.

Larry Ng, Commissioner-General of the Singapore pavilion said, “The World Expo serves as an opportune platform for this collaboration, and the Singapore Pavilion is our contribution to this concerted international effort, serving as a viable and scalable proposition for shaping cities of the future.”

Commenting further, Ng said, “Being a country limited by land size and natural resources, it is crucial for Singapore to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the urban and environmental challenges of our time. The regenerative design framework of the Singapore Pavilion is an embodiment of how the nation has continued to overcome its physical limitations and be a liveable, sustainable and resilient city.”

Showcasing Singapore’s culture to the world

The pavilion provides an inviting space for international visitors to learn more about Singapore’s multi-faceted offerings that spring from the various communities that call it home.

The Sky Market will house various programmes for visitors to enjoy, and get a glimpse into Singapore’s social and cultural histories.

Local brands, ranging from heritage ones to up-and-coming labels, will tell their stories at the Singapore Pavilion, presenting the best of Singapore’s food and design culture on the global stage.

Courtesy: Urban Development Authority