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In my last post I wrote about how Singapore rethinks waste, water and energy. Today it’s about something everyone notices when walking through Singapore: all the green on the buildings. It’s no accident and not just decoration. Behind it are strict rules, clever incentives and a big goal.
Green is mandatory
Since 2008, every new or extensively renovated building above a certain size in Singapore has to meet the Green Mark, an environmental standard of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). On top of that there is LUSH, a programme of the planning authority URA. I find the idea brilliant: whoever builds has to replace the green they take away. In many areas, a building must give back at least as much greenery as the size of its site. Just not on the ground, but built upwards:
- Sky gardens: green terraces in the middle of towers, often open to everyone.
- Green façades: walls full of living plants that give shade and cool the building.
- Roof gardens: parks, vegetable beds or meeting places at the very top.
Building green pays off
Singapore doesn’t just use rules, it also uses incentives. Developers who build especially green and energy-efficient buildings can, for example, get a little extra floor area, or have green spaces left out of the floor-area count. With Singapore’s land prices, that is a real argument.
The top level is called Super Low Energy. These buildings use at least 60% less energy than a standard building from 2005. Some go even further and produce all their own electricity, for example a building at the National University of Singapore.
The goal: 80-80-80 by 2030
- 80% of Singapore’s building floor area should be green-certified by 2030, including older buildings.
- From 2030, 80% of new buildings (by floor area) should be Super Low Energy buildings.
- The best buildings should be 80% more efficient than in 2005.
The „Garden City“ first became a „City in a Garden“, and today Singapore even calls itself a „City in Nature“.
Two buildings you have to see
CapitaSpring stands in the middle of the financial district and is about 280 metres tall. It was designed by the Danish firm BIG together with Carlo Ratti. From outside it looks as if the façade is tearing open to reveal the green inside. On levels 17 to 20 is the „Green Oasis“, a four-storey garden with paths between the plants. At the very top, on level 51, there is a roof garden with herbs, fruit and vegetables, some of which are used in the building’s restaurants, and a great view over the city.
Oasia Hotel Downtown in Tanjong Pagar is the red tower overgrown with plants. The architects WOHA built the façade as a red mesh on which more than 20 species of climbing plants grow. Birds and insects now live there too. The building has large open sky terraces that the wind can blow through. That way the open areas need no air conditioning, and the plants protect the rooms from the sun.
Sport in the green, right between the towers
In Singapore, green isn’t only found on the famous buildings but also in ordinary neighbourhoods. In Hougang, where my wife’s family lives, there are fitness stations under shady trees, ball courts and sports fields, playgrounds and covered spaces between the HDB blocks. All the neighbours use them together, especially in the evening when it gets cooler. I wrote more about this in my post The Village in the Skyscraper.
Vegetables from the roof
Singapore imports more than 90% of its food. That’s why farming is also being built upwards. There are vertical farms like Sky Greens, where vegetables grow in tall towers, indoor farms with LED light, and vegetable beds on the roofs of HDB car parks, right above residents‘ heads.
To be honest, it doesn’t always go smoothly. Many high-tech farms struggle with high costs, and some have had to close. In 2025 Singapore dropped its old „30 by 30“ goal of producing 30% of its food by 2030 and replaced it with new, more realistic targets for 2035.
My route: green Singapore in three days
Day 1: Financial district and Marina Bay
- In the morning, go to Oasia Hotel (MRT Tanjong Pagar). The façade is best seen from the street.
- Then on to CapitaSpring. The gardens are free but only open at certain times. Please check the website beforehand to see whether you need to register.
- In the afternoon, visit the Marina Barrage with its green roof and free exhibition. You can read about my visit here.
- In the evening, Gardens by the Bay: Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and, at 7:45 or 8:45 pm, the „Garden Rhapsody“ light show under the Supertrees.
Day 2: Living and everyday green
- In the morning, Kampung Admiralty (MRT Admiralty): doctors and a food court at the bottom, flats for seniors above and a large community garden on top.
- In the afternoon, a rooftop farm on an HDB car park. Some offer tours.
- In the evening, a walk around Marina Bay.
Day 3: Jungle and airport
- In the morning, the Southern Ridges: about 10 km of trails through the treetops, with the wave-shaped Henderson Waves bridge.
- Before your flight, head to the airport early and enjoy the Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, and the Forest Valley at Jewel Changi. Both are before passport control.
Practical tips
- MRT: You can simply tap in with your contactless credit card.
- Clothing: Outside it’s around 30 degrees and humid, while malls and the MRT are often very cold. A light jacket helps.
- Water: Singapore’s tap water is safe to drink. Bring a bottle to refill.
From the waste on Semakau to NEWater to the green towers: every time, Singapore shows me how much is possible when nature and technology are thought of together. Which green building do you already know? Let me know in the comments! 👇
Sources include BCA, URA (LUSH), CapitaLand, NEA/SFA and reports on the 2025 food strategy.
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