Architects in Singapore are in the process of erecting 18 “Supertrees” made of steel and concrete in order to give the Marina Bay area a hefty splash of greenery. The man-made structures are designed to look like giant trees with a gigantic 50 metre concrete trunk, a huge canopy weighing between 20 and 85 tonnes, all covered in a steel framework made to look like branches. The project is called “Gardens by the Bay”.
The idea is that once the structures are in place, more than 200 species and varieties of greenery will be planted on them, allowing around 162,900 plants to grow up and amongst the structures. Seven of the “trees” will be given solar panelling, which will power the lighting system at night – allowing people to enjoy them at any time night or day.
The plants will come from over 30 countries including Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama. Many of the plants will be varieties that do not require any sort of soil to grow, allowing them to thrive on the concrete and steel structures.
Assistant CEO of Gardens by the Bay, Kenneth Er, said: “They have to be lightweight, they have to be maintainable and hardy, and a great amount of effort has gone into looking for plants that can actually be sustained on this living skin.”
Visitors will be able to get a spectacular view of this man-made green scenery from a 128-metre-long aerial walkway suspended 22 metres from the ground, connecting two of the Supertrees.
Facebook
Twitter
Email 
