For the longest time, Singapore is known as a ‘Garden City’, shaped by nature-based designs and plantings. Parks were linked up by the Park Connector Network and developments were encouraged to incorporate skyrise greenery to help improve the living environment. But as this island nation evolves towards NPark’s new vision of a ‘City in Nature’, how would this be achieved? How would Singapore’s ‘naturalised’ landscape look like?

Garden Dreaming – an exhibition conceptualised by DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and presented under the National Design Centre’s (NDC) curatorial theme Casting Hope – explores the current and future synergies between cities and green spaces. Located at NDC’s Design Gallery, the transformed garden gallery features innovative design perspectives from some of the figures’ behind leading-edge projects and research via video interviews. 

Leonard Ng (Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl), Schirin Taraz-Breinholt (WOHA), Yun Hye Hwang (National University of Singapore), and Goh Yu Han (Salad Dressing) share their garden dreams for Singapore, and how they’ve achieved them in their iconic projects from Enabling Village to Jurong Lakeside.

“Whether it’s seeding new ideas or cultivating solutions, designers play a role in shaping a better world,” said Mark Wee, executive director at DesignSingapore Council. Garden Dreaming is a wonderful realisation of how dreams of a greener, nature-filled Singapore can bloom even in the face of urban density.”

As part of the exhibition, award-winning botanical studio This Humid House also created two large-scale floral installations, and the demonstration was live-streamed on 22 April. Founder John Lim, who possesses a background in architecture, discussed his studio’s design approach, sustainable sourcing methods, and relationship with the floral ecosystem in Singapore and the region. The webinar, titled Appropriating Nature for Pleasure can be watched on-demand via the video below.

The Garden Dreaming exhibition and the floral installation are available for public viewing from now till 31 May. Admission is free.

Photos courtesy of DesignSingapore Council
Videography by Plus Collaboratives

Floral installation by The Humid House

Floral installation by The Humid House