Tagore Substation is located in close proximity to the nearby nature reserve, between Lower Pierce Reservoir to the west and a forested area to the East. Given its intimacy to nature, the Electrical Substation seeks to establish itself as a green connector to its adjacent greenery. Responding to the site context, the project hopes to be perceived as a source of energy drawn from the natural environment, the cradle that brings about the blossoming of life to the surrounding environment.

Setting itself apart from the conventional concrete utilitarian massing of substations, Tagore Substation is laced with greenery that emerges in alternating patterns from the façade. The substation comprises of 3 interlocking boxes designed with alternate panels of ventilation blocks and vertical greenery encompassed by a playful juxtaposition of aluminium panels to scale down the building form and temper its austere industrial appearance. Lower wedges of the buildings are covered with verdant botany to create a visual continuum with the nature reserve on the West side.

DPA’s ethos of elevating standards in the built environment, creating uniquely unconventional yet functional projects focused on sustainability and user wellbeing, drove the design of Tagore Substation, resulting in a building that is easy on the eyes and resonates with its natural surroundings.