The pavilion’s distinctive and thoughtful design garnered recognition from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) at the Expo 2020 Awards, winning the Gold Award in the Architecture & Landscape category—a first in Singapore’s World Expo participation history. In Singapore, it also received a Special Categories merit award at the 2022 SIA Architectural Design Awards and the President’s Design Award, Design of the Year 2023.

The Pavilion creates an oasis of lush trees, verdant shrubs, and vibrant orchids in the Arabian desert, with its rooftop highlighted by the SR eFlex. This oasis functions as a self-sufficient ecosystem, powered entirely by photovoltaic panels to achieve net-zero energy and water consumption during its six-month operation, managing energy and desalinating groundwater.

Ms. Yah Li Toh, lighting designer for the Pavilion, explains that along the pathways winding through nature, concealed lighting by Luxconex (SR Contour LM0H) served as a guiding light. During daytime and early evenings, visitors experience an environment that appears natural, with warm color tones. It gradually transitions to various modes, revealing different light spectrums that evoke the spirit of the forest, creating unique lighting scenes. She describes it as “archi-entertainment lighting with special colors for an immersive biophilic environment, highlighting different aspects of nature.”

The visitor’s experience culminates on the upper level, where an amphitheater hosts talks and film screenings. Indirect light from the SR Contour LM0H accentuates the concentric seating and reflects off the stainless steel ceiling above.

Elements of Singapore’s culture are showcased through product displays in the ground floor souvenir shop. The SR Contour Slim illuminates the shelves, highlighting the products in a soothing ambiance that also exudes modern elegance.

We’re proud to have contributed to this outstanding project, supporting the demonstration of nature-inspired design potential. It showed that self-sufficient buildings, vegetation, and renewable systems can coexist harmoniously, proving that architecture can evolve in tandem with ecosystems.

Project: Singapore Pavilion, World Expo 2020

Client: Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore

Lighting Design: Lightcollab

Architect: WOHA

Lanscape Architect: Salad Dressing

Photography: Patrick Birmingham-Hall, Marc Goodwin – Archmospheres, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore