GuocoLand development to plant 30 thematic gardens in the CBD

Midtown Market, which will have a hanging garden over a public space, is one of the features of Guoco Midtown. Slated for completion in phases starting from 2022, Guoco Midtown is a 3.2ha mixed-use mega-development on Beach Road and Tan Quee Lan Stre
Midtown Market, which will have a hanging garden over a public space, is one of the features of Guoco Midtown. Slated for completion in phases starting from 2022, Guoco Midtown is a 3.2ha mixed-use mega-development on Beach Road and Tan Quee Lan Street, and is directly connected to Bugis MRT interchange station. PHOTO: GUOCOLAND

GuocoLand is weaving 30 gardens into a patch of Singapore's concrete jungle, as more developers take up the challenge to embed green features in their projects.

Through its second flagship integrated mixed-use development Guoco Midtown, the property developer looks to create the most extensive privately developed collection of gardens in the Central Business District, it said on Sunday.

The gardens and public spaces will span 3.8ha from the ground floor to the rooftops of the towers. Ten of the 30 thematic gardens will be publicly accessible, GuocoLand said.

The gardens will also feature more than 350 species of plants, including several rare and endangered native species.

Among the thematic gardens is the Native Garden housing native plants and orchids. Midtown Market will have a hanging garden over a public space while Forest Giants Walk will boast tropical forest trees. There is also Water Garden, which will feature waterside plants, as well as Eucalyptus Plaza, for people and cyclists to rest.

Slated for completion in phases starting from 2022, Guoco Midtown is a 3.2ha mixed-use mega-development on Beach Road and Tan Quee Lan Street. It is directly connected to Bugis MRT interchange station, which is served by both the East-West and Downtown lines.

The development comprises a 30-storey office tower with 770,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, three retail clusters, two condominiums with more than 700 luxury apartments - Midtown Bay and Midtown Modern - and a five-storey Network Hub building for a purpose-built business and social networking club.

GuocoLand Singapore group managing director Cheng Hsing Yao said the biophilic design of Guoco Midtown also demonstrates how the private sector can play a role in a whole-of-nation effort to contribute to the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

The property developer will adopt technologies to conserve water and energy, including a fully automated water-efficient irrigation system which will meet 20 per cent of Guoco Midtown's irrigation needs through rainwater harvesting and sub-soil dripping.

"Guoco Midtown's city-in-nature concept is built upon these principles to make our city greener, more liveable, and promote a sustainable lifestyle with green transportation and green buildings," Mr Cheng added.

THE BUSINESS TIMES

  • 3.8ha

    Size of the gardens and public spaces.

    10

    Number of gardens accessible to the public, out of 30 thematic gardens.

    >350

    Number of species of plants that will feature in the gardens.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 16, 2021, with the headline GuocoLand development to plant 30 thematic gardens in the CBD. Subscribe