NParks details plans, seeks designers for Jurong Lake Gardens

SINGAPORE — Wanted: Design consultants for parts of the Jurong Lake Gardens that include the Chinese and Japanese Gardens and a promenade facing the new Science Centre.

In a press release on Monday (March 7), the National Parks Board (NParks) gave a sneak peek into what the new national gardens in the heartlands could look like, when it called for designers to transform the green areas of the Jurong district to its vision of a “people’s garden”.

Slated to be a place for families and communities to enjoy recreational activities, it will also be a go-to spot for workers in the nearby commercial hub of Jurong Gateway to seek respite, or to meet and network.

NParks also envisions the gardens to be a place for people to share their horticultural skills, and for community gardening to take centre stage, such that there will also be space for the creation of “show gardens”, along with opportunities for those in the green industries to “test bed their products”.

The 90ha green belt comprises of Jurong Lake Gardens West, Jurong Lake Gardens Central where the Chinese and Japanese Gardens are located, and Jurong Lake Gardens East that will feature a promenade fronting the new Science Centre and the northern part of Jurong Lake.

Works on Jurong Lake Gardens West will start in April and is projected to be completed in 2018, while the Central and East segments will be progressively developed and completed from 2020 onwards.

NParks said that the design consultants are expected to integrate the existing design concept of Jurong Lake Gardens West, which was renamed from Jurong Lake Park, with Jurong Lake Gardens Central and East.

The main tasks are to ensure that the area is accessible to human traffic and allow visitors and residents to have “day and night experience and views”. It should also incorporate waterfront design strategies, smart technology, green infrastructure, and sustainable systems that will enhance natural habitats and biodiversity.

The consultants are also expected to take into consideration the history of the site, topography, flora and fauna, buildings and structures, and transport networks serving the district.

At Jurong Lake Gardens East, there will be a 15m-wide promenade at the doorstep of the new Science Centre, which will be relocated next to the Chinese Garden MRT Station. NParks is looking at design elements to complement the Science Centre’s educational programmes. There, the outdoor area can feature science-based play areas worked around the fields of natural sciences, biodiversity and water sustainability efforts and technologies, it said.

The tender for the design consultancy services will go through a two-stage selection process. Those interested have to submit their proposals by April 25. NParks will then shortlist five firms to take part in the second stage of the tender in June. The appointed firm will be announced at the end of this year.