Park behind Prince George’s Park Residences

It is difficult to think of Singapore as a tropical country as it is so highly developed that my view of a tropical setting- lush vegetation, rainforests, and greenery becomes distorted. Walking behind Prince Georges Park residences towards Pasir Panjang road, however, can give glimpses of a tropical landscape with nature playing a dominant role in the environment. One can hear crickets, smell the earth and experience some of the quietness that is often lost in other areas of Singapore. Research institutes along this road also incorporate vegetation into their landscape. A restaurant located behind PGP also has a lake and a fountain that adds to the ‘jungle’ effect of the space as one can hear water. The path that I walk on is shaded by the tree canopy, the same canopy cools the breeze that is abundant on this site when it is about to rain. When rain pours down as is so common in Singapore, the canopy also serves to shelter to a large extent so one feel more protected here when not carrying an umbrella.
In terms of an architectural presence, there is a restaurant very close to this site, however, on its own it is not very effectively shaded ( shaded areas are dark) and fans are used to aid ventilation- the breeze is not very strong. Hence I would say it is more the approach to the restaurant rather than the place itself that is tropical in nature.

Ahana Basu