Bjarke Ingels Group’s New Singapore Skyscraper Has 80,000 Plants

After four years of construction, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has completed its latest project: CapitaSpring, a 919-foot biophilic skyscraper in Singapore. Located in Downtown Core, Singapore’s financial district, the tower is one of the tallest in the city-state and the latest addition to the island’s skyline. 

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati collaborated with BIG to create a digital user experience for the building. “When we first got invited to join the architectural competition, we saw a great opportunity to team up and join forces with BIG to achieve a uniquely bold result together,” Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, said in a statement. “As CapitaSpring is open to the public today, I am proud of how we enhanced the public spaces across the building, creating the best experience for all users and leveraging both technology and unprecedented integration with natural elements.”

The 51-story mixed-use complex has room for working, living, and playing. Residential spaces take up the first eight floors and include facilities like a swimming pool, jacuzzi, jogging track, gymnasium, social kitchen, residents’ lounge, and barbecue pits. The top 29 floors are set aside for offices, and according to the press release, over 99% of the office and retail space has already been committed. 

Though the tower’s design is striking—multiple elevations are defined by a sculptural façade—it’s the designers’ use of greenery that truly stands out. On the exterior, lush gardens peak out as vertical elements pull apart. Inside, a 114-foot open-air garden, named the Green Oasis, covers four stories between residences and office space. Here, plants mirror the hierarchy of a tropical rainforest and offer room for work, walks, relaxation, or events. A rooftop garden caps the building, where over 150 species of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers are grown for the rooftop restaurant.