Sustainability at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s most popular destinations. There is a lot to see, and you can easily spend the better part of a day here and still manage to miss something tucked away in the intricate landscaping. The space is divided into three gardens, the Bay South Garden, the Bay East Garden, and the Bay Central Garden. Collectively it spans 101 hectares/250 acres filled with diverse plant life, lakes, shops, restaurants, two giant domes, twelve Supertrees, and a Children’s Garden located in the Bay East Garden.

As of 2016 attendance at the Gardens was 8.8 million.

Gardens by the Bay was an exercise in conservation and sustainability from its very conception, serving as an example of how powerful conservation and natural energy can be.

Domes and Supertrees are easily spotted from anywhere within a few miles of the Gardens.


The Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are easily spotted peeking out from the foliage like towering mountains. Each is fitted with special glass that uses sensor operated sails to shade the plants within as needed.

ecoWise Marina Power Viewing Gallery

Chilled water runs through pipes beneath the floor to cool the lower levels of the domes where visitors roam the exhibits.

Warmer air is vented through upper levels as it rises, and desiccant, a dehumidify, is used to reduce the amount of energy required to cool the air.

ecoWise Chart explaining sustainability efforts at the Gardens.

The waste heat created from the burn off of garden biomass is utilized to generate the electricity needed to cool the conservatories. When the desiccant moves to the biomass burn off, it is recycled back into the air.

Much of the lake ecosystem can be seen from the shore.

Dragonfly and Kingfisher lakes make up the lake system for the gardens which relies on aquatic plants to clean garden runoff before it reaches the Marina Reservoir, or is used in irrigating the Gardens.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are absorbed by beds of reeds and more aquatic vegetation. This diminishes algae bloom for superior water quality, creating a happy home for fish and dragonflies.

Supertree Grove

These human-made behemoths are more than just wacky giant sculptures. Each has a living skin which collectively cultivates more than 200 species of plants. Most stand between 25-50 meters tall and provide much needed shaded areas for their admirers during the day. The majority are equipped with environmentally sustainable functions. Some house cooled conservatories and serve as exhaust receptacles. Others yield solar energy that helps to power the Gardens through photovoltaic cells that convert light into direct current.

Each night some of this stored energy is transformed into a light show which electrifies the Supertree Grove twice nightly at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm. The show changes regularly throughout the year, taking on different themes and delighting guests.

The Supertree Grove is open daily from 5:00 am – 2:00 am. Admission is free. To roam the bright yellow OCBC Skyway that runs between the trees the cost is SGD 8.

The OCBC Skyway links the trees inside the Supertree Grove.

Visit the Gardens by the Bay website to learn more about their sustainability efforts and admission information.

Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en.html