On June, 28th 2012 Singapore unveiled a new wonder at the official opening to the public of the Bay South Garden, the latest in a series of projects which complete the huge "Gardens by the Bay" botanical and architectural complex.  The whole project is an integral part of a sustainable strategy developed by the Singapore government in order to transform the city into a proper "Garden City", where a holistic approach and an all-encompassing eco-friendly programme further enhance the significance of greenery and flora within this country. Covering a total area of 101 hectares, "Gardens by the Bay" are comprised of three different coastal gardens named Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central. With its 54 hectares, Bay South is a lively and vibrant green plot that frames the best of tropical botany and garden artistry with bountiful displays of lush flowers, variegated vegetation and amazing made-man trees.

Right these giant artificial trees, the so-called Supertrees, have rapidly become the trademark of "Gardens by the Bay", embodying a perfect blend of nature, art and technology. While their artistic and natural essence is visible to the naked eye, their in-built technological features are well hidden within their multi-functional structure. They are in fact fitted with environmentally sustainable technologies - smartly camouflaged on their "crowns" and under their "roots" - that simulate the ecological functions of trees. Mimicking the photosynthesis, photovoltaic cells and solar collectors  harness solar energy, which can be used to operate some functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting; moreover, the Supertrees are capable of collecting rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, just the way real trees absorb rainwater for growth. They also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories’ cooling system.

A total of 18 Supertrees, ranging from 25 to 50 metres in height, literally mesmerize the astonished visitors with their Jurassic reminiscence. 12 Supertrees are located in the Supertree Grove, building an almost preternatural forest,  while two clusters of three Supertrees each stand next to the Arrival Square and Dragonfly Lake. Each Supertree consists of 4 major parts: at the core of each tree, a reinforced concrete column provides the inside vertical structure; around the core, a steel frame builds up the trunk and, flowing upwards, gives life to a surprising metal foliage. Lots of planting panels, a sort of hanging garden, attached either to the steel structure or directly to the concrete core of the trees, surround the artificial trunks hosting the most different kinds of vines, flowering climbers, orchids, ferns and tropical plants coming from all over the world.

While during the day the Supertree’s canopies and trunks provide shade and shelter,  at night they come alive with dynamic lighting schemes and projected media patterns that trigger off the city skyline. Located at the base of the trees foliage, whose branches are made up of thousands of thick wire rods shaped like an inverted umbrella, hundreds of GRIVEN’s GRAPHITE 300 White Light projectors have been fixed onto the trees circumferences in order to give light both to the winding paths below and to the upper trees crowns. Shades of warm and cool white light enhance the Supertrees’ surroundings, conveying an ancestral allure to the three different areas of the Bay South garden that host them. Supplied by GRIVEN’s authorized dealer for Singapore, the company AiXZ International, GRAPHITE 300 White Light is a weatherproofed lighting fixture, which has been designed for permanent exterior installation. The newly conceived outline rely on an extremely compact and solid housing that blends discretely with any architectural environment. AiXZ International has contributed to this huge lighting project supplying professional consulting and commissioning service to Singapore’s National Parks Board, while the company Kurihara Kogyo Co., Ltd.   has provided installation, testing and commissioning of lighting fixtures, control system and programming of light scenes.

Along with the nearly 300 units of Graphite 300, 96 pieces of MICRO-CLIP MK2 with narrow optics have been installed right below the Supertrees artificial foliage to further enhance their extraordinary shapes through a smart accent lighting effect. MICRO-CLIP MK2 is an ultra compact spotlight fixture that houses three high efficiency full colour LEDs. IP65 rated, it is adaptable to a wide range of indoor and outdoor environments and provides a vibrant and brilliant colour palette from its particularly thin and newly restyled bodywork.