Pritika Acharya
Singapore is among the 20 most sustainable cities that manages to achieve a delicate balance between economic, social and environmental priorities. Although not having many natural trees, Singapore has gained recognition in its high urban tree density and high rise developmental housing in 2016 when it was named Asia’s Greenest City.
The Oasia Hotel Downtown in particular is a hybrid building located near major business hubs in Singapore's Central Business District (CBD) that successfully amalgamates work, leisure and sustainability. The building reintroduces biodiversity into the city through vertical greenery and landscaping that make up around 40% of the building’s volume. This design helps tackle urban heat island effects, allowing the megacity to breathe.
The aim of the primary architect, Wong Mun Summ of WOHA Architects, was to “create an alternative image for commercial high-rise developments. It combines innovative ways to intensify and use biodiversity, with a tropical approach that showcases a perforated, permeable, furry, verdant tower.”
His vision is evident in the building’s iconic 200 meter tall living facade comprising 20 different species of climbers, creepers and flowers creating an oxygen-rich oasis. It mimics a natural ecosystem by attracting fauna such as insects
and squirrels making it a building wrapped in a ‘living cloak’. In order to maintain the flourishing flora, automatic irrigation systems are in place to water them twice a day while minimising water wastage. Additionally, the plants and aluminium act as a sun break, absorbing heat and providing shade to prevent the greenhouse effect in rooms. The striking red facade — soon to be entirely green — is one of the most delightful aspects of this building that also revamps the entire CBD area by effectively compensating for the lack of green observed in the surrounding buildings.
Within the building, the architects constructed 4 outdoor multi-story meeting zones and a sky garden, all of which are open to a view of the city—ensuring natural air circulation (hence avoiding the need for air conditioning) and an oxygen rich atmosphere through the extensive green areas. The hotel’s enclosed spaces are also cooled by chilled water systems containing variable speed driven chilled water and condenser water pumps.
As a result of Oasia Hotel’s groundbreaking sustainable green building concept, the architects received numerous international architectural awards and Singapore’s highest honour for designers and designs across all disciplines: The Green Good Design Award, the Singapore Good Design Mark Platinum award, Building of The Year, the Year's Best Tall Building Worldwide honour and the Urban Land Institute's 2017-2018 Global Awards for Excellence... to name a few. Oasia hotel is without a doubt an inspiration for all metropolitan cities and amplifies the primacy of greenery within high-density urban spaces — a notion essential for future urban planning.
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