Singapore is no stranger to tall buildings; the Southeast Asian city boasts more than 4,300 tall buildings, including more than 100 skyscrapers located mainly in the city’s financial core. Still, the city — already part of one of the most advanced economies globally — has broken a new record, now housing «the best skyscraper in the world,» as revealed a few hours ago.
The building in question is Singapore’s Pan Pacific Orchard , a 23-storey hotel on the busy Orchard Road area, which has just been singled out as a new high-rise building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). In a statement, the Chicago-based international body highlights the building’s “innovative approach to high-density urbanism”, which it later describes as a “hotel in nature”.
Opened in mid-2023, this luxury accommodation has quickly gained popular acclaim for integrating sustainability into the heart of its urban design. The building comprises 347 rooms and is equipped with four themed terraces related to Singapore’s tropical environment – forest, beach, garden and cloud – in ascending order and filled with greenery, which are designed to offer guests different natural environments, creating a unique (resort-like) experience within the city.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the design is that it links the public and private squares; the so-called Forest Terrace is an area accessible to pedestrians and features a waterfall and dozens of plant species, many of them native to the island. This has been identified by the organisation that awarded the prize as a kind of “oasis away from the hustle and bustle”, particularly in Orchard (Singapore’s commercial district).
In addition, its other spaces (such as the so-called Beach and Pool Terraces) contain private spaces for residents that have palm trees between the different facilities; others offer paths around a rectangular lawn and, the Terrace of the Clouds in question, praises the city sky, due to its impressive views of the green space located on the top floor.
Designed by renowned architecture firm WOHA , the hotel champions zero-impact as an environmental goal, earning it the Green Mark Platinum certification for its green initiatives (including rainwater irrigation systems, solar panels, and other measures to reduce energy consumption through natural ventilation and low consumption). Now, this prestigious recognition joins the Best Tall Building Worldwide 2024 award , uniting the subjects of design and sustainability.
One more reason why Singapore is now, for many, not only a city-state on high, but also an example of how to face the new challenges of urban planning by embracing sustainable living policies.
