Bird Paradise clinches the coveted Design of the Year at the President*s Design Award (P*DA) 2025—Singapore’s highest accolade for design excellence. The award recognises the 17-hectare park’s innovative fusion of wildlife conservation, immersive visitor experiences, and sustainable design.
Jointly envisioned by Mandai Wildlife Group and brought to life by RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (RSP) as lead architect, Bird Paradise was celebrated for its sensitive integration of architecture with nature, thoughtful animal welfare infrastructure, and inclusive design approach. Representatives from both Mandai Wildlife Group and RSP received the honour from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a ceremony held at National Gallery Singapore on 31 July 2025.
Opened in March 2023 within the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Bird Paradise is home to 3,500 birds across 400 species, including many that are threatened. Visitors can explore walk-through aviaries that mirror the world’s diverse ecosystems—African rainforests, South American wetlands, Southeast Asian rice paddies, and Australian eucalypt forests. The experience is enhanced by features like a state-of-the-art penguin exhibit and live animal presentations at a 2,000-seat amphitheatre.
RSP’s master planning and architectural strategy was deeply rooted in preserving the site’s natural topography and existing tree clusters to maintain an authentic forest setting. Behind the scenes, the park includes specialised care facilities like an avian hospital, nutrition centre, and breeding & research centre—underscoring the Group’s commitment to avian welfare and conservation.
Accessibility is a cornerstone of the design, with inclusive, universal design principles ensuring a seamless and comfortable journey for all guests, regardless of age or ability. Gentle slopes and panoramic viewpoints ensure every visitor enjoys an unobstructed, enriching encounter with nature.
This latest win cements RSP’s position as a leader in Singapore’s design landscape, adding to its past P*DA accolades for landmark projects such as CapitaSpring (2023), Jewel Changi Airport (2020), and The Pinnacle@Duxton (2010).
- PROJECT NAME: Bird Paradise
- TEMPORARY OCCUPATION PERMIT: 9 February 2023
- SIZE: 17.3 hectares
- DESIGNER: Mandai Wildlife Group (Marc Cremades, Rucha Khanderia, Tsai Chung Jay, Tatsuki Nakamura, Tan Seng Seng, Keryn Ng, Dr. Nicole Tay, Dr Juan Cornejo)
- DESIGN ARCHITECT FIRM: RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd (Seah Chee Kien, Suen Wee Kwok, Gabriel Chen, Chan Ai Hup, Samantha Wong, Ashley Yong, Teong Mee Chen, Teo Nam Siang, Charlene Lee, Kurt Lloyd Babet)
- LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl & Aecom Singapore Pte Ltd
- CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Aecom Singapore Pte Ltd
- MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd
- LARGE AVIARY STRUCTURE DESIGN: Tensys Engineers Pte Ltd
- CAPACITY CONSULTANT: Orca Consulting
- PEDESTRIAN MODELLING: Vertix Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd
- SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING: Acacia Design Consultants Pte Ltd
- SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES: Atelier 10 Pte Ltd
- LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM DESIGN (PENGUIN EXHIBIT): Aquionics Design and Development Sdn Bhd
- THEMING: Kingsmen International Pico Art International
- PLAYGROUND: Carve NL
- INTERPRETIVE: SPACElogic Pte Ltd
- AV AND ACOUSTIC: CCW Associates Pte Ltd
- LIGHTING: Lighting Planners Associates
- QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Arcadis Singapore Pte Ltd
- FIRE SAFETY: Ignesis Consultants Pte Ltd
- WINGED SANCTUARY AVIARY: Passage Projects
- INTERIOR DESIGN (OFFICE AND BACK OF HOUSE): RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd
- INTERIOR DESIGN (F&B AND RETAIL AREAS): Kingsmen International
- INTERIOR DESIGN (TRANSITION BUILDINGS): SPACElogic Pte Ltd
- CLIENT: Mandai Wildlife Group
To learn more about RSP’s design philosophy and projects, visit here.
