Perpetual Spring: Singapore's Gardens by the Bay

by Koh Buck Song

Gardens have always been central to Singapore's identity and global positioning. Now, a fresh era has blossomed with Gardens by the Bay. Since the 1960s, Singapore has cultivated its international reputation as a 'Garden City', a city-state adorned by gardens as a high priority in urban planning. In the 21st century, a paradigm shift is being carefully nurtured as Singapore becomes a City in a Garden , where the whole country is one big garden, and urban development is fully integrated and immersed amidst greenery and flora. The primary icon of this groundbreaking model is Gardens by the Bay, which now offers right on the Equator journeys into diverse botanical worlds, from the cloud forest of montane regions to the Mediterranean and South America. In this tropical metropolis, spring will become perpetual in the cooled climate of the two futuristic conservatories, and in the lush blooms all year round. This commemorative volume tells the story of the seeding of Gardens by the Bay, from the germination of the original concept to first flowering and harvest with the official opening in 2012.

227 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Koh Buck Song born 1963, has an MA in English from Cambridge University, UK. He went to Harvard University in the United States in 2003, to do a Master in Public Administration degree as a Mason Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government. This is his sixt book. His poems have been featured in publications and on Singapore TV and radio, and also at the National Museum and the Esplanade- Theatres on the Bay arts centre.

(Excerpt from The Ocean of Ambition)