Pocketful of Sunshine 

Green architecture is on the rise—besides beautifying the space, these green spaces offer respite to people who live and work in concrete jungles every day. Let us bring you a closer look at a few CapitaLand buildings and the ways that the green spaces in them can serve multiple purposes.  

Long gone are the days when buildings, especially those in the Central Business District (CBD) area, were a monotonous shade of concrete grey. These days, one can find respite from the sun and the dreary work day in the green spaces that have been carefully cultivated in buildings around the city. Some of you may have seen some of these spaces, or even taken a break in one of them yourself.   

More than just decoration, these green spaces bring a lot more to the table. Some double up as an area of rest when one is weary from the daily grind, whereas others help to lower the temperature in the building. Still curious about how these pockets of greenery can serve multiple purposes? Read on to find out more. 

CapitaGreen

Another iconic building that you might have come across is as green as its name—CapitaGreen. Perhaps you might recognise it by the undulating Olafur Eliasson artwork that connects the pavement to the ceiling—with seats that look like chestnuts providing some solitude as you look up at the twisting sculpture. They remind us of the roots of a plant, and indeed, CapitaGreen was conceptualised as a living, breathing tree. Foliage includes greenery on each floor, a “living wall” in its foyer, and sky terraces on two separate levels.

Way up above—hidden from most eyes—a large, distinctive petal-like structure crowns the tower and acts as a wind scoop to draw in cooler and cleaner air from above the building. This air is channelled into an inner duct called the “Cool Void”, supplying fresh air to the building’s air-condition system. Together with the vegetation of CapitaGreen, this helps to lower the temperature in the building, helping to decrease energy consumption.

Funan Mall 

On the fringes of the Civic District, Funan Mall provides a breather for workers and shoppers alike. Head to the top of Funan Mall, where you will find an 18,000 sq ft rooftop urban farm operated by Edible Garden City—a long-time advocate of the local grow-your-own-food movement. You may be surprised to discover that more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables such as mushrooms, edible flowers, and watermelon can be found here, and if you're keen to hone your green fingers, you can learn how vegetables are produced and harvested through workshops organised by the mall. Apart from being an attraction for agriculture enthusiasts, the farm is a true breakaway from city life and a step forward towards strengthening food security in Singapore.  

Bonus: Jewel Changi Airport 

Not exactly part of the CBD, but a distinctive addition to our cityscape, Jewel Changi Airport is a well-known example where nature is integrated into an urban building. Jewel is home to the Shiseido Forest Valley, which has more than 900 trees and palms, and over 60,000 shrubs from all over the world. Stepping into this valley has been likened to trekking in Jurassic Park—it’s not often that you get to enjoy being enveloped by a tropical rainforest without the heat and humidity, but within a cool, misty environment instead. After an invigorating ‘hike’ amongst the trees, you might find yourself drawn to the HSBC Rain Vortex in the middle of the valley. Spend a few moments to take in a few deep breaths while you’re mesmerised by the cascading torrents of water, and we’re sure you’ll find calmness within. There are even more pockets of greenery on the fifth floor of Jewel, where you can admire and explore the flower gardens and ponds that fill the Canopy Park. More than just a ploy for publicity, the integration of greenery into the retail environment gives retail tenants a ready respite from their day-to-day operations, and also helps to give shoppers a sense of ease. 

Although we might not always realise it, integrating pockets of greenery in buildings results in more than just a prettier landscape. Apart from being good for the environment, green buildings provide pockets of respite in a hectic city, can help to reduce energy costs, and boost employee morale and productivity. These eco-friendly, biophilic buildings are part of CapitaLand’s effort in ensuring a more sustainable city and workspace—in the hopes that there will still be plenty of Mother Nature left to enjoy for the generations to come, in pockets of green like these.

Find out more about how the greenery in CapitaLand’s buildings can serve multiple purposes by contributing to the environmental and social well-being of our communities here

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