Totems For Another World
Type of Totem:
Civic Totem
Corporate Totem
Target Species:
White-bellied Sea Eagle and other raptors
Mid-size parrots and cockatoos, such as the Galah
Zebra Finch and other small hole-nesting birds
Microbats
Resin Bee and other Leaf-cutting bees
Blue Banded Bee and other clay burrowing bees
Location:
ArtScience Museum, Singapore
26 Cairns Street, Brisbane, Australia
Story:
This installation, created as part of the Totems for the 21st Century initiative—founded by Singapore firms WOHA, BioSEA, Systmz and GWS Living Art in 2021—honours the interdependence between human and ecological systems in an era of rapid urbanisation and biodiversity loss.
The Totems are more than a sculptural object: they are a symbolic connection between people, place, and the protected landscapes it represents—expressed as both a work of art and living habitats for urban wildlife. Each Totem provides a home for a specific wildlife species, and contributes directly to land and wildlife conservation efforts around the world.
The Totems exhibited in this exhibition will find a permanent home at 26 Cairns Street, a residential development which is under development in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, providing safe spaces for native species, bringing nature into the heart of the built environment, promoting biodiversity, fostering community, and inspiring deeper care for the natural world.
The soundscape by Dr. Ben Mirin and Cornell's Creative Conservation Lab combines recordings of Australian birds from various ecosystems around Brisbane to create an imagined dawn chorus that, like the Totems themselves, brings wildlife into new spaces and envisions a new future.
Designed by WOHA and made possible through the generous support of Delta Australia Holdings, these Totems underline their commitment to environmental stewardship by directly contributing to conservation efforts in Queensland, Australia.
Commissioned By:
ArtScience Museum, with the support of DesignSingapore Council
Sponsors:
Delta Australia Holdings
Having delivered one of Brisbane’s most celebrated buildings, Riparian Plaza, Delta Australia Holdings is proud to lead the team behind 26 Cairns Street Kangaroo Point.
WOHA
WOHA work at all scales, from buildings to masterplans, and see their projects as living systems that are connected to the city as a whole. With every project, the practice aims to create a matrix of interconnected human-scaled environments. These spaces foster community, enable stewardship of nature, generate biophilic beauty, activate ecosystem services and build resilience.
bioSEA
bioSEA is an ecology and biomimicry design consultancy that specializes in ecological placemaking, conducting biodiversity surveys and ecosystem service assessments across all scales from buildings to urban. It is also trying to mainstream the adoption of biomimicry in the built environment.
bioSEA and WOHA have worked together on many of WOHA’s projects, first to assess the built works, and now to design productive ecosystems in urban environments.
GWS Living Art
GWS Living Art specializes in creating a sustainable world with smart green solutions, such as Green wall systems, Green roof systems, IOT Green technologies and smart water systems. The Gaiamat Green Roof Mat system won Zac the Building and Construction Control Authority’s Innovator of the Year award in 2017.
Systmz
Systmz is a top-ranking laboratory and healthcare furniture solutions provider, known for delivering innovative and high quality products. Systemz develop intuitive design solutions with user-friendly products and optimum layout, creating better working environments.
Systmz is building a community of design excellence, taking on design and manufacture challenges at the cutting edge of digital and industrial machining.
Maerich Lighting
Maerich’s modular LED lights are innovatively designed to achieve optimal performance with small, yet powerful, aesthetically pleasing luminaires while providing versatility in options and applications, allowing architects and designers the freedom to bring their imagination in lighting into reality.
With many generations of industry knowledge and access to global resources, we employ the best people, skills and technologies in order to deliver our brand promise of innovation, creativity and reliability.
Maerich, small in size, big on power with infinite freedom.
Maerich – light differently.
Team:
Design: WOHA: Richard Hassell, Evanne Kok , Chong Siew Way, Lin Bolt
Ecology: bioSEA: Anuj Jain
Technology and Fabrication: Systmz: Ng Joo Kok, Sean Liew
Integrated Greenery: GWS Living: Zac Toh, Sylvia Toh