June 29th will see the opening of Singapore‘s newest park – Gardens by the Bay – and is comprised of three separate areas – Bay East, Bay South and Bay Central. This massive, 101 hectare park came to fruition with a price tag of over $1 billion dollars.

A most interesting feature about this particular project is that it is adding over 220,000 different species of plants from around the world. Even more spectacular are the towering ‘supertrees’ in the Bay South garden which are entirely mechanical and perform important tasks for the rest of the park. The trees are up to 50 meters high and provide ventilation ductwork, rainwater collection and generate solar power which provides lighting to the various conservatories below.

The vision of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the past seven years, Bay South is the final stage of the three park system to open. It is expected that the grand opening event will be a spectacular occasion. The partly mechanical forest has been promoted by Singapore’s National Parks Board to provide a venue to bring foreign flora and fauna to citizens of Singapore to appreciate. The garden system is part of a development plan to revitalize the bay area.

A series of skywalks, elevated bridges, have been erected between the supertree tops giving visitors to the park a birds’ eye view of the gardens below.

Integral to the lush design are two green conservatories, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, which developers are hoping will become the parks’ main attractions. Since these are a few of the only areas to charge admission, the fees charged will contribute back to the operating costs of the parks.

A supportive feature of the Flower Dome is the method whereby horticultural waste is used to feed a steam turbine producing the energy to maintain the biome’s cooling system.

The balance of the soon-to-open Bay South garden will also highlight the varied ethnic characteristics of Singapore’s history. Visitors will wander through areas dedicated to various cultures and eras that have melded to make Singapore what it is today.

Completing the overall natural and relaxing ambiance of the locale are numerous lakes and connecting bridges, all part of the plan to renovate Singapore into a “city in a garden”.

For citizens living and working in the densely populated concrete world, the parks will provide a relaxing place for friends and families to stroll among exotic breeds of plants, picnic, or just take in the magnificent views of the city from a different perspective.

A leader in preservation of natural areas and greenery, Costa Rica currently operates 26 national parks encompassing a larger percentage of its land than any other country in the world. This initiative encourages the ecotourism for which this country is well known.

Sources: CNN