Sunday, November 4, 2012

Uniquely Singapore - Gardens By The Bay - Cloud Forest


The waterfall
Upon entering the uniquely Singapore Cloud Forest dome, you will be greeted by a spectacular 35-metre tall 'mountain' complete with the tallest indoor waterfall amidst lush vegetation.  The waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air, great to escape from the heat of Singapore's weather.








Here you get to learn about the cool-moist climate found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 to 3,500 metres above sea level, such as Mt Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, and high elevation areas in South America.






The Cloud Forest Dome, at 0.8 hectares, features a ‘Cloud Mountain’, accessible by an elevator, and visitors will be able to descend the mountain via a circular path and enjoy the cool fresh air. 

Both the Conservatories, the Flower Dome as well as the Cloud Forest Dome, use a suite of technologies to achieve at least 30% saving in energy consumption, compared to conventional cooling technologies.  As a result the energy consumption for the Conservatories is comparable to that of an average commercial building in Singapore of the same footprint and height.  To optimise energy efficiency, the following key architectural and engineering strategies were implemented:
  • Spectrally selective glass and light sensor-operated shadings minimize the solar heat gain and allow maximum light to plants.
  • Thermal stratification to ensure cool air settles at the lower occupied zone and warm air is allowed to rise and vented out at high levels.
  • The efficient de-humidification cooling process is de-coupled first into de-humidifying of the air with a liquid desiccant and then cooling the dry air.
  • A Combined Heat Power (CHP) biomass steam turbine generates electricity to run the electric chillers that produce chilled water to cool the Conservatories. Waste heat is captured in the process to regenerate the liquid desiccant.
Here are some of the beautiful flowers and vegetation that you can find in the Cloud Forest.

Giant orchid

Beautiful flowers
Pitcher plant

Flower with interesting centre

Pink flower

At the 'top' of the mountain

Bunch of flowers

Prett flowers


Decorative statues

Interesting bench

Interesting flower

Nice variegated leaf

Pitcher plant

Family of snails




Waterfall from the other end
Crystal Mountain
Lots to see and do at the Cloud Forest in Gardens By The Bay.  Best way to see as much as possible would be to take a lift up to the very top and then walk down the walkway and take your time to take in the many beautiful sights as well as enjoy the cool air.



CLOUD FOREST Hours & Admission Fees

Hours:
  • Opens 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily
  • Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM daily
  • Last admission at 8:30 PM daily

Local Resident Admission:     
Adult                           $12
Senior Citizen* $8
Child** $8

Local Resident Admission
(includes entry to Flower Dome):
Adult                            $20
Senior Citizen* $15
Child** $12

Standard Admission
(includes entry to Flower Dome):
Adult                            $28
Senior Citizen* $28
Child** $15

* Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)
** Child (3 – 12 years old)

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