Most people fill their greenhouses with interesting plant specimens- Singapore put an entire (artificial) mountaintop inside theirs!
The centrepiece of Singapore’s iconic Gardens by the Bay is two giant asymmetric glasshouses which were designed by Wilkinson Eyre. The taller one is called the ‘Cloud Forest’ and contains a lushly planted artificial mountain. It’s one of my favourite parts of the gardens, other than the Supertree Grove.
When you enter the Cloud Forest dome, you’re greeted by a cascading 35 meter tall waterfall (one of the world’s tallest) spilling over the side of the mountain.
Circulation through the attraction is reminiscent of the New York Guggenheim, starting with an elevator ride to the the top. From the summit, a gravity-aided path leads you down the mountain, winding through and around the incredible landscapes.
The dome is climactically engineered to replicate the weather conditions of a variety of altitudes, allowing many types of plant species to be grown.
The glass dome also provides incredible views of the Singapore skyline.
Images by Jonathan Choe
