Location
Singapore
Typology
Highrise
Mixed-use
Office
Residential
Infrastructure
Year
2011-2017
Status
completed
Client
M+S Pte. Ltd. | Temasek Holdings, Singapore
Size
400 000 m² GFA
Read more
Marina One is conceived not as four isolated high-rise buildings, but as a community of towers gathered around a shared sanctuary. Within the density and parameters defined by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, the design transforms constraint into a new urban figure: a clearly defined perimeter that reinforces the surrounding streets, and an unexpectedly open, publicly accessible landscape at its centre. Instead of occupying this inner space with service functions, the project gives it back to the city as the Green Heart—a multi-level tropical garden where architecture, landscape and public life meet.
As a compact mixed-use development, Marina One brings living, working, retail, recreation and public space together within a single urban structure. An extensive network of underground pedestrian walkways connects the complex directly to the surrounding district and nearby MRT stations, integrating it into Singapore’s public-transport system and supporting a more walkable city. The raised ground level also anticipates the longer-term effects of rising sea levels, making resilience part of the project’s fundamental organisation.
Location
Singapore
Typology
Highrise
Mixed-use
Office
Residential
Infrastructure
Year
2011-2017
Status
completed
Client
M+S Pte. Ltd. | Temasek Holdings, Singapore
Size
400 000 m² GFA
Read more
The central landscape forms the social and emotional core of the project. Curving terraces, dense tropical vegetation and filtered daylight create a sense of enclosure and intimacy within the scale of the surrounding city. A waterfall introduces the sound and movement of water, contributing to the cooler, calmer atmosphere of the garden and enriching its sensory character. Feng Shui principles were respected throughout the design and are reflected in the relationship between the towers, the flow of movement, the landscape and water, and the protected central space.
The central landscape forms the social and emotional core of the project. Curving terraces, dense tropical vegetation and filtered daylight create a sense of enclosure and intimacy within the scale of the surrounding city. A waterfall introduces the sound and movement of water, contributing to the cooler, calmer atmosphere of the garden and enriching its sensory character. Feng Shui principles were respected throughout the design and are reflected in the relationship between the towers, the flow of movement, the landscape and water, and the protected central space.
The expressive form of the interior is nevertheless grounded in precise environmental analysis. Its bowl-like geometry and louvred façades were developed through aerodynamic studies to stimulate air movement and enhance turbulence where beneficial. Openings between the towers respond to Singapore’s prevailing wind directions, allowing air to pass through the development rather than being obstructed by it. As solar-warmed air rises towards the upper levels, it reinforces a natural stack effect, drawing relatively cooler air through the Level 4 sky gardens and into the centre. Shade, moving air, planting and the evaporative effects of vegetation and water combine to create a more comfortable outdoor microclimate. Landscape is therefore not applied to the architecture as decoration; it is an active part of the project’s environmental performance and spatial identity. Trees, palms, shrubs and green walls provide shade, reduce surface temperatures, filter the air and support biodiversity. The planting rises through the complex in layers, evoking the structure of a tropical landscape—from a green valley at the base to cloud forest and mountain-top vegetation above.
The expressive form of the interior is nevertheless grounded in precise environmental analysis. Its bowl-like geometry and louvred façades were developed through aerodynamic studies to stimulate air movement and enhance turbulence where beneficial. Openings between the towers respond to Singapore’s prevailing wind directions, allowing air to pass through the development rather than being obstructed by it. As solar-warmed air rises towards the upper levels, it reinforces a natural stack effect, drawing relatively cooler air through the Level 4 sky gardens and into the centre. Shade, moving air, planting and the evaporative effects of vegetation and water combine to create a more comfortable outdoor microclimate. Landscape is therefore not applied to the architecture as decoration; it is an active part of the project’s environmental performance and spatial identity. Trees, palms, shrubs and green walls provide shade, reduce surface temperatures, filter the air and support biodiversity. The planting rises through the complex in layers, evoking the structure of a tropical landscape—from a green valley at the base to cloud forest and mountain-top vegetation above.
Creating this environment required a long-term horticultural strategy. Plants were selected and procured early, then cultivated in a dedicated nursery where they could mature and acclimatise to conditions resembling those of their eventual locations. This process was essential to establishing a resilient landscape rather than an immediately impressive but short-lived installation. The completed project contains 717 trees, 271 species of shrubs and palms, 42 tree species and a total leaf area of almost 138,000 square metres.
Creating this environment required a long-term horticultural strategy. Plants were selected and procured early, then cultivated in a dedicated nursery where they could mature and acclimatise to conditions resembling those of their eventual locations. This process was essential to establishing a resilient landscape rather than an immediately impressive but short-lived installation. The completed project contains 717 trees, 271 species of shrubs and palms, 42 tree species and a total leaf area of almost 138,000 square metres.
The office façades follow the same principle of performance through passive design. External louvres intercept solar radiation before heat reaches the glazing, addressing the source of overheating rather than relying on glass technology and mechanical cooling alone. Their depth, orientation and perforated surfaces provide effective shade while preserving daylight and views. Combined with an exceptionally airtight building envelope, compact floorplates and efficient planning, this reduces cooling and dehumidification demand. The residential towers respond more directly to the scale and experience of everyday life. Projecting balcony boxes provide shade, privacy and protection from wind and rain. At the same time, they break down the visual mass of the towers into a finer, more human scale, giving the façades a recognisable domestic rhythm and enabling residents to identify their individual homes within the larger building. Within the residential floorplates, carefully positioned air wells and vertical openings support natural cross-ventilation in the apartments and shared circulation areas.
The office façades follow the same principle of performance through passive design. External louvres intercept solar radiation before heat reaches the glazing, addressing the source of overheating rather than relying on glass technology and mechanical cooling alone. Their depth, orientation and perforated surfaces provide effective shade while preserving daylight and views. Combined with an exceptionally airtight building envelope, compact floorplates and efficient planning, this reduces cooling and dehumidification demand. The residential towers respond more directly to the scale and experience of everyday life. Projecting balcony boxes provide shade, privacy and protection from wind and rain. At the same time, they break down the visual mass of the towers into a finer, more human scale, giving the façades a recognisable domestic rhythm and enabling residents to identify their individual homes within the larger building. Within the residential floorplates, carefully positioned air wells and vertical openings support natural cross-ventilation in the apartments and shared circulation areas.
Marina One demonstrates how high density can produce urban generosity rather than congestion. Its architecture is shaped by climate, infrastructure, landscape and culture, yet its character extends beyond technical performance. It emerges through the contrast between the disciplined outer perimeter and the fluid inner world: between bronze metal and tropical foliage, monumental scale and individual homes, sunlight and deep shade, stillness and moving air. At the centre of one of the world’s most intensely urban districts, Marina One creates a place that feels protected, sensuous and alive.
Marina One demonstrates how high density can produce urban generosity rather than congestion. Its architecture is shaped by climate, infrastructure, landscape and culture, yet its character extends beyond technical performance. It emerges through the contrast between the disciplined outer perimeter and the fluid inner world: between bronze metal and tropical foliage, monumental scale and individual homes, sunlight and deep shade, stillness and moving air. At the centre of one of the world’s most intensely urban districts, Marina One creates a place that feels protected, sensuous and alive.
