By Romesh Navaratnarajah: The appearance of miniature versions of the "supertrees" at Gardens by the Bay is sparking interest from residents in Tampines and online netizens.
A photo of the structures (pictured) was uploaded by Lee Kin Mun, a blogger popularly known as Mr Brown on Tuesday. People have since likened them to Marina Bay's latest attraction.
According to the Tampines Town Council, the designs for the mini-supertrees were submitted through a competition with the Singapore Institute of Architects back in 2010. They were built in January and completed in March.
The structures are "part of a Neighbourhood Renewal Programme where...a majority of the residents living in the precinct supported it", said a town council spokesperson, who added that residents were pleased with the new landmarks.
Spread across four locations in Tampines, the miniature "supertrees" were designed by Team Design Architects, which have also been involved in other projects such as The Sail @ Marina Bay.
Ng Cheng Kiang, a 39-year old Tampines resident feels that the town council may have wanted "to bring a slice of Singapore's latest attraction to the heartland".
Meanwhile, Bryan Tan from Keystone Law Corp noted that "each structure has its own unique features", hence, any infringement issue would be unlikely.
Still, not everyone is happy with the "supertrees". One netizen commented on Mr Brown's blog that the town council could "just plant real trees" instead. Related Stories: Khaw: HDB closely monitors BTO quality, standards
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