REACTION PAPER: Oasia Hotel Downtown

Group 6

Members: Gado, Zeus C.

Beltran, Brandon Luis J.

The Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore, designed by WOHA Architects, showed that the structure of a
building could incorporate greenery. Twenty-one species of creepers were present across the facades, and
thirty-three species of trees were planted on the sky terraces of the hotel; having this much greenery, the
structures adapted to the environment. In fact, according to Mun, Richard, and Hong (2018), With all green
and blue surfaces amalgamated, the tower achieves an unprecedented overall GPR of 1,100%. Put another
way, it provides 10 times as much greenery to the plot as was originally on the undeveloped site. The
statement shows that the structure's design made the environment better and more habitable for small
animals. This building gives inspiration in architecture to create plans and structures with care for our
environment and nature.
The tower brings people to their recreation and to feel the vibe of relaxing in nature. Since this hotel is
located in the center of the Singapore business district, surrounded by other tall buildings, this architectural
concept makes people feel like even if they live in the city, they can see, feel, and connect to nature through
this hotel. Oasia Hotel Downtown wants to bring nature near the people who live in the city, and they will
no need to travel to connect with nature or to unwind. It demonstrates efforts to evolve in step with the
changing needs and expectations of the community, reinventing new concepts that bring value to its users.
The Oasia Hotel Downtown design will influence more architectural designs that aid the ecosystem as we
continue innovating. It is essential to be aware of climate change to reduce the damage dealt with the
environment. WOHA Architects made an excellent design appropriate to the climate issue of the world
today, yet providing the functions of the tower being livable. It will also be interesting to see the
development of building designs in Singapore as it becomes the Garden City.
Oasia Hotel Downtown used an element of nature as one of the highlights of this architecture,
complementing the Asian culture. Abundant greenery can be seen in the structure of the building giving the
aesthetic and a sense of Asian culture. Since the Oasia Hotel Downtown is located in Singapore, Singapore
has a building with a biophilic design like Oasia Hotel Downtown that used to increase connectivity to the
natural environment. Putting nature in a structure makes the building better, not just for aesthetics but also
for the ecosystem.

References:

Wong M. S., Hassell R., Phua W. H. Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore: A Tall Prototype for the Tropics.
CTBUH Journal 2018 Issue III. https://global.ctbuh.org/resources/papers/download/3790-oasia-hotel-
downtown-singapore-a-tall-prototype-for-the-tropics.pdf