New attractions at Singapore Botanic Gardens from Saturday

SINGAPORE: Visitors to the Singapore Botanic Gardens can expect two brand new attractions on Saturday.

The first is a Heritage Museum, which explores the rich history of the 154-year-old gardens.

Visitors will see old lab equipment and field notes, and learn about early methods for rubber tapping which were pioneered by the Botanic Gardens. The Herring-bone method was a major breakthrough for the rubber industry. It allowed for higher yields while limiting the impact on the tree.

There is also an interactive map, which marks the gardens’ expansion since 1859 to future developments until 2014.

Just next door, the CDL (City Developments Limited) Green Gallery celebrates Singapore’s greening journey over the last 50 years.

It presents visuals of the future of the country’s Destination Parks, scheduled for opening from 2015. These include upcoming slides at Admiralty Park which will be carved out of slopes, and new boardwalk connectors at Jurong Lake Park.

Three parks – Admiralty Park, Jurong Lake Park and East Coast Park – were identified earlier to be redeveloped thematically to attract Singaporeans from all over the island. They are estimated to be completed by 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The CDL Green Gallery is also the nation’s first zero-energy gallery – powered entirely by solar panels.

It is also the first building in Singapore to be built with ‘hempcrete’, a material which can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The vertical green walls on the building are also expected to be a haven for butterflies.

Poon Hong Yuen, chief executive officer of the National Parks Board, said: “The UNESCO bid part of it talks about the importance of people, the community owning the bid, and the community actually feeling that the heritage status of the gardens is very important.

“So this museum will go a long way in inculcating the feeling among the community for the gardens.”

The cost of both the Heritage Museum and Green Gallery was over S$2 million, supported by City Developments Limited.

New attractions at Singapore Botanic Gardens from Saturday