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SINGAPORE: Visitors to the Sembcorp Cool House at the National Orchid Garden can expect to wander through a larger space, with more than 1,000 species of orchids and hybrids.
This is more than double the previous number on display, the National Parks Board (NParks) said.
The facility is one of three exhibition houses in the new Tropical Montane Orchidetum that was opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (April 3), after extensive improvement works.
Each of the display houses within the orchidetum has been expanded.
The renovated Sembcorp Cool House, for example, is four times the size of the original. It is home to Asia’s largest collection of high-altitude mountain orchids, NParks said.
High-altitude montane forests, characterized by their cool climate and high rainfall throughout the year, are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, the agency said.
“The orchids in these forests face threats from poaching, deforestation and climate change,” he added.
“Overall, the improved National Orchid Garden allows NParks to expand their capabilities in orchid cultivation, conservation and research.”
The new 1,100 m2 Sembcorp Cool House. featuring more than 1,000 species of orchids, hybrids, and other plant families. (Photo: National Parks Board)
The energy efficient facilities at Sembcorp Cool House reduce energy use by about 30 percent compared to previous systems, NParks said. There are photovoltaic panels that compensate for electrical usage, as well as spectrally selective glass that can reduce the amount of cooling required while optimizing the amount of sunlight that enters.
Tan Hoon Siang’s new 760-square-meter fog house. (Photo: National Parks Board)
The Orchidetum was part of a series of S $ 35 million NParks improvements to rejuvenate key features of the National Orchid Garden, the cost of which was partially met by community contributions. This included a S $ 10 million donation from Sembcorp Industries.
ASCENDING THROUGH A TROPICAL FOREST
The orchidetum is designed to allow visitors to view orchid species and varieties “amid naturalistic landscapes that resemble the habitats where they are typically found,” NParks said.
“Visitors will be able to enjoy a seamless experience similar to one ascending into a montane tropical forest as they traverse the orchid,” he added.
In addition to the Sembcorp Cool House, the improved Tan Hoon Siang Mist House mimics a paleotropical garden at 650m to 1000m altitude.
“(It presents) a selection of hybrids and unique, rare or award-winning species from the breeding stock of orchids from the collection of the National Orchid Garden,” NParks said.
The new 620-square-meter Yuen Peng McNeice bromeliad collection. (Photo: National Parks Board)
The third exhibit house, called the Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection, has been enhanced to emulate a mid-elevation neotropical forest environment at an elevation of 650m to 1000m.
There are two other attractions that allow visitors to “complete the full mountain climbing experience,” NParks said. The first is a lowland habitat trail, with Neram and riparian forests in the region where orchids and other species can be found clinging to tree branches.
The second attraction, called Secret Ravine, is specially designed to seamlessly traverse the three exhibit houses, emulating habitats that can be found in deep, narrow valleys of tropical mountains.
Map of the National Orchid Garden, with the recently opened Tropical Montane Orchidetum. (Photo: National Parks Board)
