ARE TREES POORLY POSITIONED?
By Ng Tze Yong
Electric New Paper, Singapore
March 13 2007
Yes, they hide buildings, says Heritage Society president
No, they give buildings unique tropical look, says architect
GREEN is Singapore’s favourite colour.
Singapore is the Green City, the Garden City, the City in the Garden.
Victoria Memorial Hall behind a ‘curtain of trees’. — KUA CHEE SIONG
But, as our photos show, this garden may be looking just a tad
overgrown.
Be a tourist for a day.
You might find your patience – and photographic skills – put to
the test.
Several of our iconic buildings are obscured behind a ‘green curtain’
of trees. And it’s almost impossible to take an unobstructed picture
of them.
Sometimes, it’s almost comical to watch tourists squat and tip-toe
as they hunt for that postcard-perfect view.
During his Budget Speech last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
set out his vision of a ‘City in a Garden’.
And Singapore will be spending $700 million building more parks, park
connectors, rooftop gardens and even vertical and high-rise greenery.
That’s many more trees coming our way.
Is it time to start planning more carefully where and what we plant?
Dr Kevin Tan, the president of the Singapore Heritage Society, feels
there is ‘a certain insensitivity about the way some trees are planted,
especially those in front of landmarks’.
He said: ‘If you plant trees on road dividers, that’s fine. But why
plant big trees in front of historic landmarks?
‘The Urban Redevelopment Authority, Preservation of Monuments Board
and the National Parks Board should work more closely together.’
Mr Tim Auger, an editor, agrees.
When he was working on Singapore: The Encyclopedia, Mr Auger found
it tough to photograph Singapore’s landmarks.
‘If you cannot photograph a building properly, it’s hard to think
about promoting it as an icon,’ he said.
Besides, wouldn’t it be ironic if tourists who come here to see the
‘City in a Garden’ can’t see the City because of the Garden?
So why are we hiding historic buildings behind trees after spending
so much money to conserve them?
NO COMPLAINTS
The Singapore Tourism Board said it has not received any complaints
about this, while the URA said it has had some feedback from the
public about the issue.
Some say there is a case to be made for keeping the greenery.
Mr Simon Longman, director of streetscape at NParks, said trees have
‘aesthetic value’ and also provide much needed shade.
He added that Singapore is held up as a model for being a Garden City,
adding: ‘We should not be too hasty in abandoning our approach.’
The URA conserves historic buildings because they ‘imbue a city with a
sense of history and social memory’. But can they do that from behind
their ‘green curtain’?
Dr Yeo Kang Shua, a heritage lover who is also a trained architect,
said it’s a fine line to draw.
‘We can’t just look at the buildings or just the trees alone,’ he
said. ‘We need to look at the whole environment.’
He pointed out that there used to be a carpark in front of Victoria
Memorial Hall. ‘You could see the building completely. But the carpark
was an eyesore,’ he said.
Today, there’s a garden. But the trees obscure the view.
So is it better to have the carpark or the garden?
‘The camera is fixed. Humans are mobile,’ Dr Yeo said. ‘We can move
around to enjoy the building from different angles.’
Many of the pictures you see on the previous page are actually old
postcards.
Were the buildings photographed from those angles because that was
the best way to show the building?
‘Some buildings are meant to be monumental and enjoyed from far,’
Dr Yeo said.
An example: City Hall.
‘Other buildings are more intimate. They invite people to explore
its spaces up close,’ he said.
Like the Armenian Church. Its trees provide shade for its quaint
garden located in the heart of the city.
‘If you put these buildings on a pedestal, you make them look
unapproachable,’ said Dr Yeo.
This issue goes beyond historical landmarks.
Last year, a Straits Times columnist suggested cutting down trees in
Orchard Road because they overshadowed the buildings. Nature-lovers
promptly wrote in to protest.
But Orchard Road is a big street. For individual buildings, removing
just one or two trees will do the trick.
Ultimately, it’s an unusual tussle because it’s between romantics –
romantics who love old buildings versus romantics who love trees.
Which should we value more? The green or the old?
TREES COMPLEMENT
It’s not a win-lose situation.
Planted with care, tropical trees complement our landmarks, many of
which were built in the colonial style.
Said Dr Yeo: ‘Without these tropical trees, our churches will look
just like churches in England.’
Heritage guide Geraldene Lowe-Ismail loves the trees.
She said: ‘The shade allows tourists to linger and admire the building,
but it’s no good if they can’t see the building.’
Dr Tan suggests trimming or transplanting the trees.
‘We don’t even need to chop them down. Buildings are our heritage.
They are part of people’s memories,’ he said.
‘But trees are, too.’
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