The Orchard Hotel in Singapore, designed by local architect Woha for hospitality company Pan Pacific, has been awarded the title of 2024’s best tall building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The judges approved of the Orchard’s avoidance of the traditional tower-on-podium form and the use of varying motifs drawn from the natural world.
The 347-room high-rise is located on Orchard Road, a famous shopping street. It contains a large open-air atrium, water features and four terraced sky gardens.
Each of these has a distinct feature. The forest terrace at ground level has foliage and a cascading water plaza, and the beach terrace above contains a lagoon surrounded by sand and palm trees.
The third terrace offers a garden with walking paths, bar and lounge, and the cloud terrace above that comes with a 400-seat ballroom and panoramic views.
The 19,600 sq m hotel has multiple open-air, cross-ventilated yet sheltered spaces designed to protect guests from Singapore’s equatorial climate.
The 140m-tall structure contains columns clad in greenery that shade the terraces and room, and reflecting ceilings that act as thermal mirrors.
The project has received a Green Mark Platinum rating, thanks to features such as solar panelling, rainwater harvesting and on-site food-waste processing.
Javier Quintana de Uña, CTBUH’s chief executive, said: “Pan Pacific Orchard represents the best in responsible vertical urbanism today. It does so by considering the question at the very core of this year’s conference – New or Renew? – from a more encompassing and nuanced perspective. This isn’t a building refurbishment; it’s about reimagining entire communities in novel, forward-thinking ways.”
