Sunflowers Gardens By The Bay

UNESCO-recognised cultural assets from Spain recreated at Gardens by the Bay’s A Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers

A grand palace courtyard and a picturesque patio house are some of the cultural elements recreated in Flower Dome’s newest floral display

Sunflowers Gardens by the Bay Credit: Gardens by the Bay

The renowned Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens) of Spain’s Real Alcázar of Seville – one of the oldest royal palaces in Europe and a UNESCO world heritage site – is a Spanish cultural asset that will be recreated at Gardens by the Bay’s newest floral display A Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers（西班牙葵花小夜曲）.

The floral display draws inspiration from the unique landmarks and cultural highlights of the Andalusian cities of Seville, Granada, Malaga, Jaén and Córdoba. After all, Andalusia, a region in the south of Spain, was once at the crossroads of many civilisations, and is known for its rich architecture styles, culture and history that bear influences of the ancient Romans, Visigoths and Muslims among others. Sunflowers and other popular Spanish garden blooms like pelargoniums, petunias, roses and camellias colour the landscape with vibrant hues.

This is the first time Gardens by the Bay is collaborating with the Embassy of Spain in Singapore and the Spain Tourism Board to present a Spanish-themed floral display. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman launched the floral display in Flower Dome today. A Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers runs until Oct 30.

Sunflowers Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh said, “We are honoured to partner with the Spanish Embassy to introduce a well-known UNESCO destination to our local community. By combining distinctive elements of Spain with our horticultural expertise, we hope our visitors will learn more about the rich history, culture and heritage of Andalusia amid the lush landscape of Flower Dome.”

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Singapore Her Excellency Mercedes Alonso Frayle said, “Just as the centuries-old olive trees brought from Spain have taken root in Flower Dome and bear fruit, the collaboration in this ‘little great project’ will crystallize helping us get to know each other better, to discover our history, culture, traditions, art, heritage, in all, our way of life. This exhibition brings to Singapore a small corner of Spain, Andalucía, a nook I invite you to discover and to explore; a friendly, cheerful and hospitable region that has its doors open to Singapore and Singaporeans.”

Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman said, “Today’s event speaks to our multifaceted cooperation – the collaboration between Gardens by the Bay and the Spanish Embassy reflects the excellent cultural ties we share with Spain.”

Sunflowers Flower Dome

Aside from the Patio de las Doncellas, another highlight of the floral display is an interpretation of the iconic patio houses of the Andalusian city of Córdoba, which is known for its unique Fiesta de los Patios (Fiesta of the Patios), a cultural festival inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. At this annual 12-day festival held at the beginning of May, Córdoba residents decorate the patios of their houses with a visual spectacle of flowers, fountains and ceramic pieces, to compete for the title of the most beautiful courtyard.

With Spain being one of the largest producers of olive oil in the world, the olive grove in Flower Dome has been transformed into an “olive museum”, where visitors can learn all about olive oil such as its various uses in Spanish cuisine and how the plant shaped the development of the Mediterranean region.

Pockets of Flower Dome will also showcase the arts and culture of Spain. A recreation of the Pablo Picasso statue in the Plaza de la Merced in the artist’s hometown of Malaga sits at the Mediterranean Garden. Here, visitors can learn more about one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and discover how Malaga inspired his artworks.

Sunflowers Flower Dome Gardens by the Bay

Displayed alongside Picasso’s works are ceramic pieces made by Cerámica Los Arrayanes, one of the oldest pottery workshops in Granada. Over five centuries, ceramic from Granada has evolved to include Christian, Muslim and Arabic design influences, speaking volumes of the city’s rich history. Motifs commonly used are flowers, birds, and plants, and most notably the pomegranate, the symbol and namesake of Granada.

At the South American Garden, learn more about Flamenco, a renowned art form of more than two centuries of history and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage that has roots in Andalusia. There will also be live performances on Oct 23.

In conjunction with A Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers, visitors can participate in a social media contest where the prizes are a LOEWE luxury pouch from El Corte Ingles, and dining vouchers from Spanish restaurant Tapas Club sponsored by the Spain Tourism Board. Visit here for more details.

A Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers

Date: 1 to 30 October 2022
Time: 9am – 9pm
Venue: Flower Dome
Admission Fees: Admission charge to Flower Dome applies.

You can get tickets online via Klook.

HIGHLIGHTS OF A SPANISH SERENADE WITH SUNFLOWERS

ARCHITECTURE

PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS

Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers Gardens by the Bay Credit: Gardens by the Bay

One of the main highlights of the floral display is a 4m-tall centerpiece inspired by the famous Patio de las Doncellas (The Courtyard of the Maidens), a Mudéjar-style courtyard with ornate corridors and beautiful multifoil arches. The Mudéjar are Muslims who remained in Christian territory after the gradual Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. Traditionally in such Muslim civil architecture, the courtyard occupies the centre of the house, with the main rooms of the house distributed around it. In the middle of the courtyard is a large rectangular reflecting pool with sunken gardens on either side. The Patio de las Doncellas is in the Real Alcázar, a royal palace in Seville that is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

PATIO HOUSES OF CÓRDOBA

Sunflowers Flower Dome Gardens by the Bay Credit: Gardens by the Bay

Córdoba homes were traditionally built with a central patio, filled with plants and water features, as a way to keep the interior cool in what is a hot and dry climate.

A 5m-tall structure inspired by the patio houses of Córdoba highlights the unique Fiesta de los Patios (Fiesta of the Patios), a cultural festival recognised by UNESCO. Since 1918, every May, Córdoba residents decorate their patios with a visual feast of flowers, fountains and ceramic pieces, to compete for the title of the most beautiful courtyard, at the same time opening their doors to the public who wish to view these colourful patios of art.

ARTS & CULTURE

FLAMENCO DANCE & FASHION

Flamenco Dance & Fashion Sunflowers Flower Dome

Flamenco, one of the most renowned art forms in Spain with more than two centuries of history, was inscribed in 2010 by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Flamenco combines vocal music, dance and musical accompaniment, called cante, baile and toque respectively. This art form is rooted in Andalusia and other regions like Murcia and Extremadura.

The flamenco outfit, traje de flamenca or sevillana, is a dress traditionally worn by women at festivals in Andalusia. They are distinguished by being close-fitting attires with flounces made of different fabrics: pattered, plain, with laces, flowered. The flamenco dress is the only folk costume that constantly evolves with fashion and the times. Both traditional and contemporary versions of the flamenco dress, along with accessories such as hand-painted fans, will be showcased in Flower Dome’s South American Garden.

GRANADA POTTERY

The typical pottery of Granada has deep Middle Eastern roots, from the times of the Muslim rule of Andalusia. It first started in the 12th Century and was refined by the Arabs until the 15th Century. After the Christian re-conquest in 1492, designs shifted according to the tastes of the new masters.

Common motifs used include flowers, birds, and plants, most notably the pomegranate, which is the symbol and namesake of the city of Granada. These designs were typically painted in grey blue, bold green and cobalt blue. The pieces showcased at the Mediterranean Garden are made by Cerámica Los Arrayanes, one of the oldest workshops of the typical pottery of Granada.

PABLO PICASSO

Mediterranean Gardens in Flower Dome Credit: Gardens by the Bay

Learn about the life and works of Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Born in Spain in 1881, Picasso spent most of his early childhood in the Andalusian city of Malaga, which offered him inspiration for some of the recurring themes in his paintings, such as flamenco, doves and bulls. A recreation of Picasso’s statue in Malaga’s Plaza de la Merced showing the artist gazing afar is displayed at Mediterranean Gardens in Flower Dome, alongside panels detailing his life and artworks

AGRICULTURE

OLIVE MUSEUM

Olive Grove in Flower Dome Sunflowers Gardens by the Bay Credit: Gardens by the Bay

The Olive Grove in Flower Dome is transformed into an “olive museum”, where visitors can learn about the development of olive agriculture and tourism in Spain, various uses of olive oil in Spanish cuisine, and the symbol of the plant in Mediterranean culture.

For the past thousands of years since the Neolithic period, the cultivation, production and consumption of olive oil has shaped the Mediterranean world to a significant extent. Spain is one of the largest producers of olive oil in the world, and the country with the most olive groves on the planet. Most of them are concentrated in the south in Andalusia, with Jaén being the province with the greatest number of olive trees. The Olive Grove Landscapes of Andalusia is now on the UNESCO Tentative List of Cultural Heritage, with hopes to be nominated as a World Heritage Site.

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