Oasia Hotel Downtown is a pioneering “living tower” in Singapore’s Central Business District, designed by WOHA architects and completed in 2016. It reimagines urban high-rises as vertical ecosystems by integrating extensive greenery, sky terraces, and biophilic elements to boost biodiversity and sustainability.
Design Features
Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore features a facade covered in green vegetation.
The 190-meter tower stands out with its red aluminum mesh facade supporting 21 species of climbing plants, creating a dynamic “living” exterior that evolves with seasons and weather. Four sky terraces at levels 6, 12, 21, and 27—spanning communal spaces like pools, gyms, lawns, and lounges—are naturally ventilated via breezeway atria, reducing reliance on air conditioning. About 40% of the building’s volume is open-air green space, attracting birds, insects, and wildlife comparable to nearby parks.
Sustainability Impact
It achieves a green plot ratio (GPR) of 1,100%, providing over 10 times the greenery of the original site (which it replaced), with 54 plant species total across terraces and facades. Passive cooling, cross-ventilation, and porous design make it a prototype for tropical skyscrapers, earning it the title of Best Tall Building Worldwide in 2018 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. A BioSEA study found 18 wildlife species thriving there.
Mixed-Use Function
Lower levels house 100 office units, while the 314-room hotel starts at level 12, blending work, leisure, and nature in a dense urban core. Unlike typical towers with centralized cores, its four corner cores maximize open floorplates for terraces, fostering communal and ecological harmony
