Oasia Hotel Downtown, The Tower Demonstrates a Sustainable, Humane and Liveable

From the heart of Singapore's Central Business District rises an innovative 27-storey building enveloped by a red aluminium mesh.

The silhouette of the scarlet-hued bower structure is softened by the presence of more than 20 species of creepers growing across the entire 200m-high facade. Awash in green, this is an architectural piece of work that was created to stand out against the grey and harsh-looking downtown skyscrapers.

The work has made more than just a visual impact. For its efforts, architecture firm Woha won Building Of The Year for designing Oasia Hotel Downtown at this year's annual Singapore Institute of Architects Architectural Design Awards.

Design for the project began in February 2011 and construction a year later. It was completed and opened in April last year at a cost of about $138 million. Impressive appearance aside, this mixed-use development, comprising a hotel and office spaces, is meant to delight its occupants, guests and neighbours. There are four Sky Terraces in the building, each of which offers panoramic views.

The first terrace, on the sixth storey, houses meeting pods, pantries, a gym and a pool - all of which can be enjoyed by offices located between the seventh and 11th storeys. The other three terraces - on the 12th, 21st and 27th floors - are meant for hotel guests. They come with lounges, lawns, pools and dining areas, among other amenities.

These Sky Terraces, vertical greening and internal breezeway atriums are part of the architects' vision to create a new kind of skyscrapers - one that offers generous green spaces while being suited for the local climate.

Mr Wong Mun Summ, one of Woha's founding directors, says: "We are interested in how skyrise greenery can transform not just a building, but also an entire neighbourhood by creating visual relief and promoting biodiversity.

"With its lush greenery and open volumes, the tower demonstrates a sustainable, humane and liveable approach to building in the city."