40 project features

Alexandra Arch and Forest Walk: Southern Ridges

Alexandra Arch and Forest Walk

Southern Ridges
Text by Elaine Lee From time to time, strategies shift. More than Ridge Park. The formidable feat started in July
Photography by Jeremy San four decades ago, a strong political will, with 2002, when URA first announced its plans to
Minister Mentor (then Prime Minister) Lee Kuan link the Southern Ridges as part of the Master
Yew at its helm, was the driving force behind Plan 2003 Review. At that time, the popular hill
Singapore’s development into a Garden City. parks at Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and
The visionaries were convinced that a green- Kent Ridge were separated by either major
ing programme would offer the competitive roads or wooded vegetation.
edge that would attract foreign investments to
Singapore, on top of softening the harshness of In 2003, URA, in collaboration with the National
urban living. Four decades of sustainable devel- Parks Board (NParks) and the Singapore Insti-
opment involving strategic cultivation, infra- tute of Architects (SIA), organised an interna-
structural provisions, urban lungs, and a lot tional design competition to select outstanding
of preening and pruning later, the Garden City design concepts for the connections that were
is phased out, or rather enters its next phase. to be built. By 2004, the concept by LOOK Archi-
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech in tects (Singapore) was selected for Alexandra
2008, at the opening of the pedestrian bridges Arch, a bridge that spans Alexandra Road, and
and HortPark gardening hub at the South- Forest Walk, the adjacent elevated walkway.
ern Ridges, heralded a shift. Not a paradigm The design by IJP Corporation Ltd (UK) and
shift, but the beginning of a new era in green- RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd
ing programme—a City of Gardens and Water. (Singapore) was selected for Henderson Waves,
It has grown into an exercise that works on the which spans Henderson Road. These two
adjectives. The City of Gardens and Water is a bridges form the main connectors to link up the
sustainable development promoting strategic hill parks.
“skyrise” cultivation, “seamless” infrastructural
provisions, “recreational” urban lungs, and Consultancy works for the connectors started
perhaps more preening and pruning. as early as 2005, when a series of monthly
Design Review meetings were organised with
The seamless recreational infrastructure the consultants to keep the design develop-
started with the vision of the Urban Redevelop- ment in check. Although there was a need to
ment Authority (URA) to link up the nine-kilome- ensure that the new structures complemented
tre rolling expanse of the Southern Ridges— the rustic character of the natural landscape
consisting of the chain of hills including Mount unique to the Ridges and respected the terrain
Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge. The of the surroundings, the completed connec-
aim was to form an uninterrupted network tors were nowhere near rustic in expression. In
of linkages for the public to enjoy conven- fact both bridges and their corresponding park
ient access to nature. Today, that seamless connectors are bold gestures that certainly
connection enables an undisrupted stroll from complemented and are more often than not,
HarbourFront MRT station all the way to Kent customised to the terrain.
 CITYGREEN #1
A Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology Publication 41

Location
Alexandra Road & Telok Blangah Hill Park

Basic Data

Alexandra Arch
Length: 80m
Width: 4m
Height: Average height of 6m
above Alexandra Road
Finishes: Granite slabs on pedestal supports

Elevated Walkway
at Forest Walk
Length: 1.3km (1.6km inclusive of circular ramps and
lookout points)
Width: 2m (1.8m clear)
Height: 3–18m above the ground
Climb: 58m
Finishes: Hot dipped galvanised mild steel columns
and gratings

Project Cost: Approx. S$13 million

Year of Completion: May 2008
Master Planner & Developer:
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Owner: National Parks Board
Architect: LOOK ARCHITECTS Pte Ltd
Project Team: Mr Look Boon Gee
Civil & Structural Engineer:
Ecas-EJ Consultants Pte Ltd
Buro Happold (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer:
HY M&E Consultancy Services Pte Ltd
Quantity Surveyor:
JIA Quantity Surveyors &
Project Managers Pte Ltd
Main Contractor: CKT Thomas Pte Ltd
Steel Specialist: Yong Nam
Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd
Lighting Specialist:
Lighting Planners Associates Inc.
42 project features
Alexandra Arch and Forest Walk: Southern Ridges

Winner of the 2009 Chicago

Athenaeum—International
Architecture Award, the tilted
arch bridge resembles an
opened leaf, with its
four-metre-wide curved deck
intersecting an arch that is
tilted at a 70-degree angle.

Alexandra Arch
Construction works for the Alexandra Arch and The four-metre-wide granite-surfaced deck,
Forest Walk connectors commenced in the profiled in cross section and curved in plan, is
middle of 2006 and was finally completed in designed by the engineers to act as a torsion
mid-2008. Spanning 80 metres across the busy box. The bridge’s arch, deck and fins are all
six-lane Alexandra Road, Alexandra Arch is fabricated from steel and the whole assem-
flanked by the two hilly areas of Telok Blangah bly is supported by raking concrete piers which
Hill and Kent Ridge. Tracing westwards from in turn are supported on piled foundations. To
the bridge leads to the Horticulture Park add to the challenge, the footings of the bridge
(HortPark) at Hyderabad Road and the park and ramp were sited in between 230 KV High
land at Gillman Village and eastwards leads to Tension cables and sewer mains. The deck is
Forest Walk, an elevated walkway that skirts paved with 40-millimetre trapezoidal-shaped
around the reservoir and eventually links to granite pavers, each weighing approximately
Telok Blangah Hill Park. 90 kilograms and supported on telescopic
pedestals, which eliminates the need for heavy
Winner of the 2009 Chicago Athenaeum—Inter- sand and mortar beds. Lifting the pavers also
national Architecture Award, the tilted arch reduces problems associated with drain-
bridge resembles an opened leaf, with its age, efflorescence and differential expansion
four-metre-wide curved deck intersecting an between the steel bridge and pavers. It also
arch that is tilted at a 70-degree angle. The conceals electrical services, which is essen-
pedestrian and cycle bridge is an asymmet- tial as lighting forms part of the appeal of the
ric structure, comprising a single leaning arch Alexandra Arch. The pyrotechnic display of
supported by means of hanger fins. The impos- LED lighting changes colour at intervals from
ing feature, an arching steel rib armature, rises evening till midnight daily, displaying varying
17 metres above ground level with 60 metres shades from the colour spectrum of dusk.
between springing points.
 43

OPPOSITE & THIS PAGE The pyrotechnic

display of LED lighting changes colour at
intervals from evening till midnight daily.
44 project features
Alexandra Arch and Forest Walk: Southern Ridges
 45

Prefabricated steel columns, beams, gratings, balustrades, railings,

and even rain shelters were assembled on site with minimum equipment
and small machinery to minimise disturbance to the site.
046 PROJECTS
Southern Ridges: Alexandra arch and forest walk

The four-metre-wide granite-surfaced deck,

profiled in cross section and curved in plan, is
designed by the engineers to act as a torsion
box. The bridge’s arch, deck and fins are all
fabricated from steel and the whole assem-
bly is supported by raking concrete piers which
in turn are supported on piled foundations. To
add to the challenge, the footings of the bridge
and ramp were sited in between 230 KV High
 47
forest walk
Connected to the Alexandra Arch is Forest The completion of the Southern Ridges, demon-
Walk, which offers a varied range of experi- strates a new level of sophistication in the local
ences from raised walkways to earth trails greening programme. In the pipeline, is the
through the secondary rainforest floor of Telok completion of a seamless connection between
Blangah Hill. The feature of the Forest Walk is Southern Ridges and the Keppel Waterfront
a 1.6-kilometre elevated walkway. Park. Branching out from Alexandra Arch, a
new connector would run along Alexandra Road
According to Mr. Look Boon Gee, Managing to convene at Labrador Park, which in turn
Partner of LOOK Architects, the walkway was would link to a mangrove boardwalk at Berlayer
conceived metaphorically as a vigorous weed, Creek. Eventually this leg would connect to
the Mile-a-minute, which attaches itself to a waterfront boardwalk from Bukit Chermin
the surrounding landscape. Designed to take all the way to VivoCity, featuring waterfront
advantage of the hilly and forested topography, views along the Keppel Bay stretch. The City
the walkway offers views of lush forest ground of Gardens and Water offers an unprecedented
and tree canopies, distant harbour views, even accessibility to nature where the new recrea-
colonial houses. It was first conceived on paper tional playground is a showcase of the distinct
with expectations to make adjustments on-site biodiversity of nature at its best. What started
to accommodate rare species of trees or plants, as an economic strategy and health standard
such as the Grasshopper Tree, Squirrel Mango consideration has emerged as one of the most
(Otak Udang), the Mousedeer Fern (Paku successful branding exercises of this island.
Pelanduk). Fortunately, the architect was able The success of the green programmes lies in
to adopt most of the original scheme with a few their transcendence of regulations to define
minor diversions at the dense forested area. the character and soul of our city—a mean feat
achieved through consistency of creating simple
The 1.8-metre-wide elevated walkway, with joys that is appreciated unanimously.
heights ranging from 3 to 18 metres, is pedes-
trian-friendly with very negligible incline planes. For more information, visit www.nparks.gov.sg.
It mitigates what would have been a climb of 70
metres and meanders in a zigzag fashion to
hug the steep slopes. The design strategy of a
kit-of-parts concept, worked out to be highly
flexible and appropriate in the dense forest
context. Prefabricated steel columns, beams,
gratings, balustrades, railings, and even rain
shelters were assembled on site with minimum
equipment and small machinery to minimise
disturbance to the site.

Metal decking with fine grating gives a height-

ened sensation when walking through the
forest, such that one is constantly aware of
the elevated positions. Again, the decking is of
triangulated modules inspired by the geomet-
ric leaf shape of the fast-growing Mile-a-
minute plant. The hot-dipped galvanised mild
steel grating, prefabricated with closer gaps,
is wheel-chair and pram safe, so that it can be
enjoyed by all.

OPPOSITE The elevated walkway has

a height ranging from 3 to 18 metres.
TOP View of a shelter.
BOTTOM The decking is of triangulated
modules inspired by the geometric leaf
shape of the Mile-a-minute plant.
 project features
48 Alexandra Arch and Forest Walk: Southern Ridges

Alexandra Arch
length 80m
width 4m
height Average height of 6m above Alexandra Road
finishes Granite slabs on pedestal supports

Elevated Walkway at Forest Walk

length 1.3km (1.6km inclusive of circular ramps and lookout points)
width 2m (1.8m clear)
height 3–18m above the ground
climb 58m
finishes Hot dipped galvanised mild steel columns and gratings

project cost Approx. S$13 million

year of completion May 2008
master planner & developer Urban Redevelopment Authority
owner National Parks Board
architect LOOK ARCHITECTS Pte Ltd
project team Mr Look Boon Gee
civil & structural engineer Ecas-EJ Consultants Pte Ltd, Buro Happold (Singapore) Pte Ltd
mechanical & electrical Engineer HY M&E Consultancy Services Pte Ltd
quantity surveyor JIA Quantity Surveyors & Project Managers Pte Ltd
main contractor CKT Thomas Pte Ltd
steel specialist Yong Nam Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd TOP, BOTTOM Night view
lighting specialist Lighting Planners Associates Inc. of the Forest Walk.