40 Trees and Their Architecture

Tree planting in Singapore is a political impetus. The national narrative of the Garden City has turned the tree into an aestheticized object that instantly appears in our parks and gardens. But trees are cultural metonyms in our landscape, tied to people, stories and sites that offer alternative narratives and histories of Singapore. Drawing on the work of artist Robert Zhao, “Singapore, Very Old Tree”, the thesis challenges current perceptions of tree planting beyond mere beautification to become a commentary on the nation’s cultural memory and complex relationship with trees.

The thesis is an architectural compendium constructed around forty specific trees in Singapore. It performs as an island wide museum of trees that uncovers and speculates latent spatial relations between the trees and its surroundings, bringing them to the foreground. The compendium of architecture – from botanical research centers to towers to infrastructures – will engage the trees differently, allowing us to experience and discover the significance, quirks and characteristics of specific trees.  In doing so, the thesis raises questions and observations about the trees which have been forgotten, renewing our relationship to trees in the landscape.