Step into a lush urban oasis where nature and luxury converge! The Pan Pacific Orchard in Singapore has been crowned the world’s best new tall building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a title that speaks volumes about its groundbreaking architectural design.

Imagine a skyscraper where tropical plants cascade from lofty structural columns while guests unwind by a lagoon-like swimming pool, prioritizing comfort amidst the bustling cityscape. At 461 feet high, this remarkable structure is more than just a hotel; it’s a "hotel in nature," as aptly described by the CTBUH.

The design team at WOHA, led by architect Hong Wei Phua, sought to create an intimate experience within a vast skyscraper. “You experience the hotel not as a very big building, but at more of a neighborhood scale,” Phua explained during a recent tour of the venue.

The Pan Pacific Orchard features four distinct, L-shaped volumes that break up the mass of the tower, creating space for urban gardens and terraces. Each terrace, themed around Singapore's tropical environment, offers unique experiences: the Forest Terrace at the base, rich with cascading water features and native flora; the Beach Terrace with a serene swimming pool surrounded by palms; the Garden Terrace with walking paths through cultivated greenery; and the Cloud Terrace, a stunning event space perched high above the city.

These terraces are not just decorative; they serve functional purposes as sunshades and rain shields, crucial for Singapore's humid climate. Guests can also enjoy a selection of 347 rooms that boast balconies with views of the lush surroundings, providing an idyllic refuge from the urban hustle.

But this is more than a beautiful hotel; it’s part of a larger vision. Singapore has long been recognized for its commitment to green architecture, earning the moniker "Garden City" since the 1960s under its founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. The city's strict building codes require developers to incorporate significant green space into their designs, leading to lush, plant-filled skyscrapers. The Pan Pacific Orchard surpasses these requirements, offering three times more green space than mandated, reaffirming its dedication to sustainability.

The hotel also incorporates modern amenities, including a 400-seat ballroom, two high-end restaurants, and a "canopy" of rooftop solar panels, showcasing the fusion of luxury and environmental responsibility. Mun Summ Wong, founding director of WOHA, emphasized their belief that skyscrapers should act as "green lungs" within urban environments, enhancing urban life for residents and guests alike.

With other recent winners of the CTBUH's Best Tall Building Worldwide award—including New York City's One Vanderbilt Avenue and Australia’s imaginative Quay Quarter Tower—Pan Pacific Orchard stands at the forefront of responsible vertical urbanism.

Open your eyes to the future of city living! The Pan Pacific Orchard is not just a hotel; it’s a pioneering example of blending natural beauty with urban sophistication. What will this innovative leap mean for the skyscrapers of tomorrow? Come and discover the marvel for yourself!