logo
Some S'poreans joke that new tower at MBS looks like a dehumidifier or 'like a 4th person lurking'

Some S'poreans joke that new tower at MBS looks like a dehumidifier or 'like a 4th person lurking'

SINGAPORE: One of Singapore's iconic views is about to change, with the groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth tower at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) held on Tuesday (July 15).
The S$10.3 billion project is being touted as an 'ultra-luxurious resort and entertainment destination'. Patrick Dumont, the president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands, was quoted as saying that the brand-new development will have 'amenities that we don't have today to offer tourists coming into Singapore'.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) shared an image from Safdie Architects of an artist's impression of what to expect when the fourth tower at MBS is up.
Meanwhile, CNA quoted architect Moshe Safdie as saying, 'The (Urban Redevelopment) Authority repeatedly said, 'This is our icon; our people of Singapore love this, and we cannot do anything that's going to compromise it.' Screenshot
Over on Reddit, however, locals had some fun at the new project's expense.
'Does anyone else think a fourth MBS tower looks totally out of place? It kind of ruins the iconic symmetry of the original three MBS towers, said u/Jerainerc in a post on r/Singapore. See also World Cup: Free to air in 2018, please
Some joked that the new tower looked like a household appliance.
'Finally, it's about time we get a huge dehumidifier to counter the weather,' wrote one.
'All we need now is a giant air purifier for every November when Indonesia does their slash and burn,' chimed in another, although another joked that the Singapore flyer already serves this purpose.
And when one wrote that the 'electricity cost for a 200m dehumidifier is gonna bankrupt the country,' another retorted 'But the air feels cooler so we will be happier.'
'Is it called the Dyson Tower,' a commenter added cheekily.
On a more serious note, a Reddit user observed, 'We will get used to it. It's like when they first showed us the design of the Esplanade, the three MBS towers, and the Supreme Court building. Suddenly, everyone become architect kpkb say it'll destroy the skyline, etc.'
One opined, however, that while 'The building itself is fine, clearly inspired or by the same architect as MBS (doing a remix),' nevertheless, 'it just feels out of place from this angle, like a fourth person lurking.'
'I think the difference is that MBS has already become a global icon, and disrupting that in any way risks damaging that brand,' another chimed in.
A commenter sounded a reassuring note, saying, 'It's far enough away that it doesn't come near the silhouette of the three linked MBS towers. You will still be able to easily take photos of it without the fourth tower.' /TISG
Read also: Marina Bay Sands hits record S$2.7B in earnings after targeting luxury travellers post-pandemic
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

17-member committee to drive roll-out of autonomous vehicles in Singapore
17-member committee to drive roll-out of autonomous vehicles in Singapore

Straits Times

time22 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

17-member committee to drive roll-out of autonomous vehicles in Singapore

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox They will coordinate efforts across four workgroups, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said on July 31. SINGAPORE - A 17-member committee comprising representatives from the industry, academia, union s and the Government has been set up to guide Singapore's progressive roll-out of driverless vehicles. Chaired by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, the committee will look to ensure autonomous vehicles (AVs) are integrated safely into Singapore's land transport system, while creating job opportunities and improv ing connectivity for residents. They will coordinate efforts across four workgroups , the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said on July 31. One workgroup will look at the near-term roll-out of AVs that takes into account r esidents' feedback. This is as autonomous shuttle s are slated to start ferrying passengers in Punggol by the end of 2025. The second workgroup will consider t he regulations, liability and enforcement needed to ensure the safety and accountability of driverless technology. Another workgroup will look at employment and industry matters, including nurturing local capabilities and creating jobs . The fourth workgroup will oversee technology and safety so as to develop a robust cyber-security and data policy for AVs. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT's finances hit by 2024 EWL disruption; profit after tax for trains division dips 8% Asia US-Malaysia tariff deal set for Aug 1 after Trump-Anwar phone call Singapore Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council Business Singapore gold investment soars 37% to 2.2 tonnes in Q2 while jewellery demand wanes Multimedia 60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge Life Milo tees, kaya toast pimple patches, crockery: Here are the SG60 merch to collect Business Deepening Singapore-Latin America ties a matter of urgency amid global trade uncertainty: Alvin Tan Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family' Here are the members of the committee: Industry representatives: Mr Alex Hungate, president and chief operating officer at Grab, a technology company with ride-hailing and food delivery services. Mr Cheng Siak Kian, managing director and group chief executive of transport operator ComfortDelGro . Dr Heidi Ruth Wyle, founder, chairman and chief executive of Venti Technologies, a firm that develops AV technology for logistics purposes . Dr Limbu Dilip Kumar, co-founder and chief operating officer of AV company Moovita. Mr Ngien Hoon Ping, group chief executive and executive director at transport operator SMRT. Mr George Ivanov, head of international policy and government affairs at American AV company Waymo . Dr Tony Han, founder, chairman and chief executive of Chinese AV company WeRide. Academia representatives: Prof essor of control and mechatronics Marcelo H. Ang Jr from the National University of Singapore's school of mechanical engineering. Professor of cities and transportation Zhao Jinhua of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Union representative: Ms Yeo Wan Ling, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, adviser to the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association, and executive secretary of the National Transport Workers Union. Government representatives: Mr Siow, who chairs the committee. Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Health. Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Law. Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs. Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for Transport and National Development. Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry as well as National Development. Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information as well as Education. In June, Mr Siow revealed plans for autonomous shuttles to start ferrying passengers in Punggol by the end of 2025. This will be done in steps, with the shuttles initially not carrying passengers until residents and road users are comfortable with them. Safety officers will be on board and will step in when needed, although this role will eventually be removed. The adoption of driverless shuttles is seen as a means to improve public transport connectivity here, as it can give people more options while overcoming labour constraints facing some transport services. In the short term, the autonomous shuttles are expected to provide short, fixed-route services to various points within Housing Board estates, supplementing regular public bus services, taxis and private-hire vehicles. In the medium term, this could be widened to include introducing services constrained by labour today, such as night buses, which can be run more frequently with driverless vehicles, Mr Siow had said. In July, a driverless shuttle bus service at integrated resort Resorts World Sentosa became the first in Singapore to be allowed to operate without any human personnel on board.

Praise Trump and speak simply: How the South Korean team negotiated its trade deal
Praise Trump and speak simply: How the South Korean team negotiated its trade deal

CNA

time22 minutes ago

  • CNA

Praise Trump and speak simply: How the South Korean team negotiated its trade deal

SEOUL: The South Korean ministers tasked with negotiating a last-ditch trade deal with United States President Donald Trump said that to prepare, they role-played and solicited tips for engaging with the unpredictable leader. Among the advice they received? Call Trump a "great person" and speak as simply as possible, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan told reporters in Washington after the deal was announced on Wednesday (Jul 30). The US will impose a 15 per cent tariff on imports from South Korea. The 15 per cent rate is below a 25 per cent tariff that Trump had threatened earlier and was equivalent to deals with Japan and the European Union. The stakes were particularly high for South Korea, a major export-driven economy, and Kim and other members of the delegation have only been on the job for a few weeks after President Lee Jae Myung won a snap election in June. Kim called Trump a "master of negotiations" and said each of the team, which included Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, took turns role-playing as the US president to prepare. "We tried to talk like President Trump, and President Trump's way of talking is very terse and straightforward," Kim said. "We prepared a lot of scenarios on our own on how to answer this or that question." Koo said the team only knew for sure they would be meeting Trump when they saw it on social media. The meeting itself went for about half an hour and the two sides went back and forth on the amount of the investment fund, which was eventually settled at US$350 billion, Koo said. "We collected a lot of negotiation strategies used by our counterparts in advance and thought a lot about how to respond, so the negotiation was very smooth," he said. Yeo quoted Trump as saying his personal involvement is rare in dealing with officials who are not heads of state, and means "he respects South Korea very much and attaches great importance to South Korea".

Japan's TEPCO posts $5.8 billion in Q1 loss on Fukushima plant decommissioning
Japan's TEPCO posts $5.8 billion in Q1 loss on Fukushima plant decommissioning

CNA

time22 minutes ago

  • CNA

Japan's TEPCO posts $5.8 billion in Q1 loss on Fukushima plant decommissioning

TOKYO :Tokyo Electric Power Co on Thursday posted 857.7 billion yen ($5.75 billion) loss for the three months ended on June 30, reflecting costs related to the decommissioning process at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In the same period a year ago, TEPCO posted a net profit of 79.2 billion yen. TEPCO has been conducting trial removal of nuclear fuel debris after a powerful tsunami destroyed the plant in 2011 and has been also paying out compensations. As part of the decommissioning process, the company has been also releasing treated radioactive water to the ocean. ($1 = 149.2500 yen)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store