Latest news with #SafdieArchitects
Independent Singapore
3 hours ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
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
CNN
12 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Singapore's most famous landmark is undergoing an $8 billion expansion
With three 650-foot-tall skyscrapers connected across the top by a boat-like skybridge — and an Instagram-famous infinity pool — Marina Bay Sands has given Singapore one of Asia's most recognizable skylines since opening in 2011. So, when the resort's original architect was invited to design a new, fourth tower for the site, his brief from the country's government was clear: Don't mess with a national symbol. '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,' said Israeli architect Moshe Safdie, referencing the country's urban planning agency. 'And that was very much on our minds, as well: How to make something that has its own identity but is very complementary.' The 87-year-old said he only entertained the idea of extending the complex's soaring skybridge to meet the fourth tower 'for a few minutes.' Instead, his new 55-floor skyscraper, which broke ground on Tuesday, sits apart from its famous neighbors on an adjacent plot of land. Connecting the towers would have 'really compromised the existing scheme and spanning across just seemed unwise,' Safdie said, comparing his new high-rise to the dot of an exclamation point. 'It would be just more of the same, whereas we really wanted to create something.' The $8-billion expansion plan is a testament to the commercial success of Marina Bay Sands, which contains a hotel, mall, convention center and one of only two licensed casinos in the southeast Asian city-state. The US hospitality giant behind the resort, Las Vegas Sands, said the property attracted 38 million visitors and 2.19 billion Singapore dollars ($1.7 billion) in business spending last year alone. Safdie's new tower will expand the hotel's capacity by 570 suites, while adding more luxury retail and meeting space. The architect's eponymous firm has also designed an adjoining entertainment venue for the site. When the Massachusetts-based architect unveiled initial plans for the expansion in 2019, this 15,000-seat venue was situated on the far side of the fourth tower. But about a year ago, with progress stalled by Covid-19-related delays, Safdie proposed 'flipping' the scheme, lodging the arena between the new skyscraper and the original three — and in turn extending the distance between them. 'I came to the conclusion that it just didn't feel right, and that there (wasn't) enough space between the towers,' he explained. 'It meant a lot of reworking of the access and transportation … (but it) was a quantum jump improvement.' The architect nonetheless wanted to create a consistent design language for the complex. For one, the new building's boat-like roof — dubbed 'Skyloop,' it will host an observation deck, restaurants and public gardens, as well as cabanas and infinity pools for hotel guests — clearly nods to the original structure's iconic roof. 'The buildings look related,' Safdie said. 'They're in the same family.' At Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined Safdie on stage to mark the start of construction with a symbolic shoveling of sand. Addressing guests at the event, Wong said the new structure 'will refresh our skyline.' The final design was, however, met with mixed reviews among Singaporeans online. On social media platform Reddit, the new tower was accused of being 'out of place' and sticking out 'like a sore thumb,' while being compared to a 'huge dehumidifier' or a 'fourth person lurking' next to its three neighbors. Other users were more sympathetic, suggesting that the tower will eventually 'blend in naturally' with the other skyscrapers being planned in the district — which was built on 660 hectares (1,631 acres) of land reclaimed from the Singapore Strait — over the coming decades. 'When it's all said and done, people will feel it's always been there,' Safdie argued. 'And they will love it as much as they love this building, if not more, because I think the sum total of the two together is greater than the individual parts.'
CNN
13 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Singapore's most famous landmark is undergoing an $8 billion expansion
With three 650-foot-tall skyscrapers connected across the top by a boat-like skybridge — and an Instagram-famous infinity pool — Marina Bay Sands has given Singapore one of Asia's most recognizable skylines since opening in 2011. So, when the resort's original architect was invited to design a new, fourth tower for the site, his brief from the country's government was clear: Don't mess with a national symbol. '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,' said Israeli architect Moshe Safdie, referencing the country's urban planning agency. 'And that was very much on our minds, as well: How to make something that has its own identity but is very complementary.' The 87-year-old said he only entertained the idea of extending the complex's soaring skybridge to meet the fourth tower 'for a few minutes.' Instead, his new 55-floor skyscraper, which broke ground on Tuesday, sits apart from its famous neighbors on an adjacent plot of land. Connecting the towers would have 'really compromised the existing scheme and spanning across just seemed unwise,' Safdie said, comparing his new high-rise to the dot of an exclamation point. 'It would be just more of the same, whereas we really wanted to create something.' The $8-billion expansion plan is a testament to the commercial success of Marina Bay Sands, which contains a hotel, mall, convention center and one of only two licensed casinos in the southeast Asian city-state. The US hospitality giant behind the resort, Las Vegas Sands, said the property attracted 38 million visitors and 2.19 billion Singapore dollars ($1.7 billion) in business spending last year alone. Safdie's new tower will expand the hotel's capacity by 570 suites, while adding more luxury retail and meeting space. The architect's eponymous firm has also designed an adjoining entertainment venue for the site. When the Massachusetts-based architect unveiled initial plans for the expansion in 2019, this 15,000-seat venue was situated on the far side of the fourth tower. But about a year ago, with progress stalled by Covid-19-related delays, Safdie proposed 'flipping' the scheme, lodging the arena between the new skyscraper and the original three — and in turn extending the distance between them. 'I came to the conclusion that it just didn't feel right, and that there (wasn't) enough space between the towers,' he explained. 'It meant a lot of reworking of the access and transportation … (but it) was a quantum jump improvement.' The architect nonetheless wanted to create a consistent design language for the complex. For one, the new building's boat-like roof — dubbed 'Skyloop,' it will host an observation deck, restaurants and public gardens, as well as cabanas and infinity pools for hotel guests — clearly nods to the original structure's iconic roof. 'The buildings look related,' Safdie said. 'They're in the same family.' At Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined Safdie on stage to mark the start of construction with a symbolic shoveling of sand. Addressing guests at the event, Wong said the new structure 'will refresh our skyline.' The final design was, however, met with mixed reviews among Singaporeans online. On social media platform Reddit, the new tower was accused of being 'out of place' and sticking out 'like a sore thumb,' while being compared to a 'huge dehumidifier' or a 'fourth person lurking' next to its three neighbors. Other users were more sympathetic, suggesting that the tower will eventually 'blend in naturally' with the other skyscrapers being planned in the district — which was built on 660 hectares (1,631 acres) of land reclaimed from the Singapore Strait — over the coming decades. 'When it's all said and done, people will feel it's always been there,' Safdie argued. 'And they will love it as much as they love this building, if not more, because I think the sum total of the two together is greater than the individual parts.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Las Vegas Sands hopes to usher in ‘new era of luxury tourism' with a new $8 billion casino complex in Singapore
Las Vegas Sands is doubling down on its Singapore bet with a new $8 billion integrated resort, expanding its existing Marina Bay Sands casino complex in the Southeast Asian country. The U.S. casino operator broke ground on the site on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by CEO Robert Goldstein and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The project will feature a 55-storey hotel tower which will include other facilities like luxury boutiques, a casino, and a 15,000-seat arena. 'We have every intention of delivering a product that will be the envy of the hospitality industry and usher in a new era of luxury tourism in Singapore,' Goldstein said at the groundbreaking ceremony. The new tower will sit close to Las Vegas Sands' existing buildings in Singapore's southern Marina Bay Area. It will be designed by Safdie Architects, the firm behind the Marina Bay Sands. Las Vegas Sands opened its Singapore casino in 2010, and the resort has become an important part of the company's business, making up a significant share of the company's revenue. The casino operator reported $1.2 billion from its Singapore integrated resort for the first quarter of the year, compared to $1.7 billion for its five casinos in the Chinese city of Macau. Las Vegas Sands reported greater earnings before interest, taxes depreciation and amortization from its Singapore business, compared to Macau. Ranked no. 374 on the Fortune 500, Las Vegas Sands is one of the few companies on the ranking that makes most of its revenue outside of the U.S. The company completed the sale of its Las Vegas properties in 2022 to focus more on Asia. Singapore's travel market bounced back from COVID more quickly than Macau, which was subject to harsher travel restrictions. Chinese officials also cracked down on junket operators, which facilitated and organized casino trips for high rollers. Las Vegas Sands's Macau business has also struggled due to ongoing renovations at the Londoner, one of its resorts based in the Chinese city. Yet Las Vegas Sands thinks Singapore's success is more to do with the country's appeal rather than Chinese weakness. Chief operating officer Patrick Dumont, in an earnings briefing to analysts earlier this year, said Singapore has a 'rarefied air' that attracts 'the highest level of high-value tourism.' Shares in Las Vegas Sands are flat for the year thus far, recoving from lows in early April. Shares in Sands China, a subsidiary that operates the company's Macau casinos, are down 5.8% over the same period. S&P Global expects a surge in Chinese tourists to markets like Singapore and Malaysia to sustain the premium gambling market this year. Singapore is making a big play for 'MICE' travelers, or those attending business meetings, conventions and exhibitions. The Marina Bay Sands complex hosted 2,200 events last year, drawing 1.2 million delegates. The city has also successfully attracted high-profile artists like Coldplay, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, oftentimes being their only Southeast Asian stop. Singapore's success with gambling contrasts with its Southeast Asian neighbors, who are pulling back on plans to set up their own casinos. Thailand last week withdrew a draft law that would have allowed the country's first casinos, citing a need for more public engagement. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
UPI
2 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Las Vegas Sands resort in Singapore aims to 'redefine' luxury
When finished, the vast 55-story Las Vegas Sands property in Singapore will hold 570 luxury hotel suites, a casino, shopping, spa and wellness stops, 20,000 feet of meeting and convention space and a 15,000-seat entertainment arena, along with restaurants with incredible views. Image courtesy of Safdie Architects and Marina Bay Sands July 15 (UPI) -- An $8 billion ultra-luxury Las Vegas Sands property in Singapore has its owners saying the soon-to-be constructed resort will "redefine industry standards" and expand the regional footprint of the small island nation. On Tuesday, officials broke ground on the future luxury entertainment destination with both Singapore government and Las Vegas Sands representatives present to witness. "This is going to be the most luxurious and high-serviced hotel in the world," company President and COO Patrick Dumont told The Straits Times on Monday ahead of the ceremony. It's slated for completion by 2030 and officials hope to open by 2031. More than 200 guests attended Tuesday's groundbreaking, including Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and company co-founder Miriam Adelson. Native artist Jasmine Sokko and Canadian singer-songwriter Henry Lau entertained guests. The vast 55-story complex will hold 570 luxury hotel suites, a casino, shopping, spa and wellness stops, 20,000 feet of meeting and convention space and a 15,000-seat entertainment arena. The state-of-the-art arena is designed by Populous, the same global firm that curated the Sphere in Las Vegas and London's O2 Arena in Britain. Dumont added that Singapore was an "incredibly desirable" location to Las Vegas Sands, which is the parent company of Marina Bay Sands. According to the company, the new resort will "push boundaries." "We have every intention of delivering a product that will be the envy of the hospitality industry and ushers in a new era of luxury tourism in Singapore," Robert Goldstein, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, said Tuesday. The design is being lead by Moshe Safdie of Safdie Architects, the same firm behind the design of the Marina Bay Sands properties. Trump meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong President Donald Trump (R) and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shake hands during joint statements in the Rose Garden on Monday. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
