Grand Hyatt Singapore reopened in 2024 following a transformative two-year renovation. Alongside major interior upgrades, its external spaces were entirely reimagined—marking the most extensive renovation since the hotel’s 1971 opening as Hyatt Regency Singapore.

Located at 10 Scotts Road, just off Orchard Road, the site spans 1.67 hectares. The landscape redesign was delivered as part of A&A works and shaped by the existing building slab. The site is organised over two main levels: the Waterfall between the Grand and Terrace Wings on Levels 1 and 2, and the Level 5 Terrace Wing Gardens. Guests encounter the landscape through a curated journey—from the lobby, through the waterfall courtyard, and up to the rooftop oasis.

This renovation marks 50 years of Hyatt’s legacy in Singapore and reinforces the hotel’s identity as a sanctuary of luxury, wellness, and nature within the city.
Design Relationship Between Landscape and Architecture

From the outset, landscape and architecture were conceived together to reposition the Grand Hyatt as a leading destination. The design needed to address both the wellness needs of modern guests and significant challenges posed by aging infrastructure. The pandemic further complicated delivery, but it also sharpened the design’s focus on well-being, nature, and human connection.

Challenges included:
• Incomplete as-built documentation; major landscape areas sat atop old car park structures
• Complex entry conditions due to ownership, level changes, and Temporary Occupancy License constraints
• A poorly performing waterfall space with limited planting viability
• Significant level differences between the lobby and rear garden areas
• Stricter fire access requirements and underperforming pool facilities
• Mature boundary trees needing sensitive integration

Despite these constraints, the team reimagined the site as a biophilic destination—one where nature and structure meet in immersive, meaningful ways.
Architecture Framed by Landscape
The landscape strategy creates a decompression journey from city to sanctuary. Drawing from Singapore’s City in Nature vision, the design weaves together urban energy, tropical planting, and crafted detail. Guests move through richly layered waterscapes and gardens designed for visual and sensory delight.

A Garden Oasis
Inspired by forest bathing, the Level 5 Garden Oasis comprises a series of garden “rooms,” each tuned to microclimatic conditions. Planting draws from the Somerset and Orchard butterfly trails, enhancing biodiversity and attracting pollinators. Artwork expressing butterfly flight links interior and exterior, nature and culture.

The Waterfall
The reimagined waterfall forms a dramatic vertical link between wings, softening built edges with cascading water and curated planting. Stone from the original hotel was repurposed, blending past and present. The space was reshaped to:
• Improve views from the lift and club lounge
• Reflect light into shaded interiors via water gardens
• Screen unsightly elements while responding to light and moisture gradients

Wellness Garden & Pool
Recycled stepping stones guide guests into a secluded garden, screened from the city yet offering framed views for orientation. Planting enhances immersion, while a covered linkway to Garden Suites and Oasis Restaurant allows protected, light-filled access.
A new Wellness Pool was introduced in the footprint of the old pool, redefined with volcanic tones, hydrotherapy jets, and natural stone. It sits at the centre of a revitalised pool bar and restaurant space designed for both social gathering and personal rejuvenation.

Lap Pool & Lawn
A new 25-metre lap pool—the largest along Orchard Road—occupies the site of the former tennis courts. Clad in deep blue tiles and bordered by private lounge zones, it offers a calm, immersive experience. Adjacent is a raised lawn that conceals mechanical infrastructure while doubling as event space, framed by boundary planting and pollinator-friendly species.

Craft and Continuity – The Lanterns
Refined detailing bridges the gap between landscape and interior design. At the Porte Cochère, sculptural lanterns function as pollinator habitats and night lighting features. Their forms and materials carry through to interiors, where nature-inspired motifs continue the story—even appearing on custom cocktail shakers at the Oasis Bar.

A Repositioned Legacy

Grand Hyatt Singapore demonstrates how architecture and landscape can evolve together—even within the limits of an aging building. The renewed gardens offer more than a visual upgrade; they redefine how outdoor space functions in high-density hospitality.
From biodiversity to guest wellness, this is landscape as infrastructure, experience, and identity. Every garden is crafted as a place of retreat, reflection, and rhythm—anchoring a hotel that now embodies Singapore’s ecological aspirations as well as its urban sophistication.

• Architecture offices involved in the design:
RSP

• Other credits:
Client: Borneo Properties
Hotel Operator: Hyatt
Project Manager: Currie & Brown
Interior Designers: NAO Taniyama & Associates Strickland

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