Type of Totem:

Corporate Totem - suited for corporate and cultural organisations and environments

Target Species:

Mid-size parrots and cockatoos, such as the Galah
White Bellied Sea Eagle and other Raptors
Microbats
Zebra Finch and other small hole-nesting birds
Blue Banded Bee and other clay burrowing bees
Resin Bee and other Leaf-cutting bees

Growlights:

WOHA x Maerich

Location:

ArtScience Museum, Singapore
26 Cairns Street, Brisbane, Australia

Team:

Design: WOHA: Richard Hassell, Evanne Kok, Lin Bolt, Chong Siew Way

Ecology: bioSEA: Anuj Jain

Technology and Fabrication: Systmz: Ng Joo Kok, Sean Liew

Integrated Greenery: GWS: Zac Toh, Sylvia Toh

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 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