Singapore has developed into one of the world’s most powerful economies while being ecologically conscious. That rapid surge in sustainable architecture is mirrored in a cool mix of glass, steel, and lush green edifices that offer a rich panorama of structural design as you walk around Singapore’s vibrant downtown. They consume less electricity, make less garbage, and aim for a minimal carbon footprint in general. We have listed seven of the most beautiful buildings in the city that are worth pausing to admire.

Oasia Hotel Downtown by WOHA

The Oasia Hotel Downtown not only features a natural vine-covered sunscreen covering the entire 27-story external facade, but it also features four lush sky terraces, 1,793 big planter boxes, and four large structural cores that allow for good cross ventilation and lower overall energy costs. The hotel, designed by WOHA and finished in 2016, is home to around 33 plant species and 21 creeper species. In addition, Patricia Urquiola’s remarkable interior design is a highlight of the 314-room hotel.

Asia Square by Denton Corker Marshall

Since its opening in 2011, Asia Square has been consistently voted as one of Singapore’s greenest retail and office buildings. It was designed by Denton Corker Marshall with sustainability in mind. The 43-story building, which also houses the 305-room The Westin Singapore, utilizes 35% less energy than typical commercial structures. Several innovations are to thank: the elevators’ kinetic energy is converted back into electrical energy and redistributed throughout the system, water and vapor droplets are collected from the air-handling units and used to water the green spaces, and an on-site bio diesel plan generates electricity using oil collected from tenants’ eateries.

Gardens by the Bay by Wilkinson Eyre

Since its opening in October 2011, Gardens by the Bay has received acclaim for its sustainability and ambitious design by Wilkinson Eyre, making it one of Singapore’s most popular attractions. The 250-acre gardens are part horticultural attraction and half showcase for green technology, with two conservatories and a forest of 18 Supertrees ranging in height from 82 to 164 feet tall. PVs, which are cooling channels in the tree structure that moderate the surrounding environment, and a skin of live flora that uses the tree structure as a trellis and contains more than 1.5 million plants, are among the technologies used by the Supertrees.

Parkroyal on Pickering by WOHA

The Parkroyal on Pickering is an essentially a hotel-in-a-garden designed by WOHA and completed in early 2013 that incorporates rain sensors, solar power, water-conservation, and light-saving measures, as well as reduced use of concrete in its construction. It also features 161,459 square feet of sky gardens, waterfalls, and planter walls, which account for more than twice its total land area. The 637-room hotel was designed with curved and sculpted features that provide attractive plant-filled outdoor plazas and terraces that draw the eye upwards from the garden and flow into the interiors, winning the 2013 Best of Year Award for Hotel Common Space from Interior Design.

National Gallery Singapore by studioMilou in collaboration with CPG Consultants

The 690,000-square-foot National Gallery Singapore, which has housed the largest public collection of modern art in Singapore and Southeast Asia since late 2015, was created by fusing two early 20th-century classical landmarks which are the City Hall and the Supreme Court using a complicated veil of glass and steel carefully positioned above. The canopy softens, filters, and controls natural light entering the building through the rooftop veil with its tree-like structure. In addition, StudioMilou, in partnership with CPG Consultants, covered the previous City Hall’s courtyards in glass atriums and allowed light to pass through the rooftop level’s reflective pools to keep temperatures down.

Kampung Admiralty by WOHA

Kampung Admiralty, which was named World Building of the Year at the 2018 World Architecture Festival, was designed by WOHA to resemble a club sandwich, with many functions piled on top of one other. The mixed-use public facility includes a community plaza on the ground level, a healthcare facility in the middle stratum and senior housing on the upper floors and rooftop, all designed to meet the needs of Singapore’s aging population. The roofscape of the building, which was completed in 2017, is renowned for its staggered terraces filled with lush greenery and pathways that serve as a community park.

Nanyang Technology University School of Art, Design and Media by CPG Consultants

A green roof that slopes almost at a 45-degree angle, lowering both the roof temperature and ambient temperature and thus reducing heat gain to the air-conditioned building, is a key feature of the Nanyang Technology University School of Art, Design and Media by CPG Consultants. The dramatic slope of the construction, finished in 2017, also encloses a courtyard with water features and plants that reflect off the windows, giving the students within a peaceful, tranquil vibe.