Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, has won the overall World Building of the Year Award at the prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2012. The project was designed by Wilkinson Eyre, Grant Associates, Atelier One and Atelier Ten.
Located in Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay is a key project in delivering the Singapore government’s vision of transforming Singapore into a "City in a Garden." At a total of 101 hectares (250 acres), the Gardens by the Bay project comprises three distinct waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central. The commission to design the 54 hectare (134 acre) Bay South garden was won in 2006 by a team led by Grant Associates and including Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Atelier One, Atelier Ten, Land Design and Davis Langdon and Seah.
At the heart of Bay South Garden is the Cooled Conservatory Complex which is the focal point of the Gardens. The two main Conservatories cover an area in excess of 20,000 square meters (215,000 sq.ft.) and are among the largest climate-controlled glasshouses in the world. They provide a spectacular, all-weather attraction and comprise a 1.28 hectare (138,000 sq.ft.) cool dry conservatory (the "Flower Dome") and a 0.73 (79,000 sq.ft.) hectare cool moist conservatory (the "Cloud Forest"). Each has its own distinct character, but both explore the horticulture of those environments most likely to be affected by climate change.
The awards are divided into three main sections: Completed Buildings, Landscape Architecture, and Future Projects (for designs in progress). The winning entries for each category are shown in the gallery.
Source: WAF