Jurong Lake Gardens – Central & East is a transformative public placemaking project that revitalises Singapore’s historic Chinese and Japanese Gardens into a vibrant, inclusive national destination. The masterplan carefully preserves beloved heritage icons such as the Grand Arch, Cloud Pagoda and White Rainbow Bridge, while introducing new buildings and bridges that enhance accessibility, biodiversity and year-round activation.

Water-sensitive design strategies are seamlessly embedded within the landscape to improve stormwater quality and introduce valuable water cycles, earning the project Active Beautiful Clean (ABC) Waters Certification. Together with the extensive use of mass engineered timber and passive design strategies, Jurong Lake Gardens achieved the BCA Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy (SLE) Award under GM 2021, demonstrating sustainable design.

Active recreation is anchored by the 17000-square-metre SkatePark @ Lakeside Garden, the largest outdoor skatepark in Singapore, which was designed to accommodate a wide range of skill levels with skate bowls weaved into the greenery. A defining feature is its large-span shelter crowned with an extensive green roof integrated with photovoltaic panels, reducing heat gain while generating renewable energy and expressing environmental performance through architecture.

Photography: Christopher O’Grady, Shiya Creative Studio