Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands (LVS), it is the world's second most expensive building, at US$ 5.5 billion, including the cost of the prime land.
Marina Bay Sands is situated on 15.5 hectares of land with the gross floor area of 581,000 square metres. The resort opened on 27 April 2010. The property has a hotel, convention and exhibition facilities, theatres, entertainment venues, retailers and restaurants.
History
Background
Marina Bay Sands was one of two winning proposals for Singapore's first integrated resorts, the other being the Resorts World Sentosa, which incorporates Universal Studios Theme Park. The two resorts aimed to meet Singapore's economic and tourism objectives, and have 30-year casino licenses, exclusively for the first ten years.
Bidders were assessed based on four criteria,
- tourism appeal and contribution
- architectural concept and design
- development investment
- strength of the consortium and partners
On 27 May 2006, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) was declared as the winner to develop the Marina Bay site in the prime new business district of Marina South. LVS highlighted its forte in Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE). LVS's founder Sheldon Adelson is a pioneer in Las Vegas and the key to his early business success. In the Design Evaluation portion of the tender, a panel of local and international architects commended Sands' design as superior to other bids in terms of pedestrian circulation and layout, and it also fit in with the Marina Bay landscape best. They liked that the hotel towers were set back from the waterfront to open up expansive views of the city and the entire Marina Bay, making the skyline for Singapore's downtown more attractive and distinctive. Construction of the property commenced in early 2007 and was expected to be completed by 2009.
Singapore Tourism Board highlighted Sands' line-up of six celebrity chefs, such as Tetsuya Wakuda, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali.
LVS submitted its winning bid on its own. Its original partner City Developments Limited (CDL), with a proposed 15% equity stake, pulled out of the partnership in the second phase of the tender process. CDL's CEO, Kwek Leng Beng said his company's pullout was a combination of factors â€" such as difficulties in getting numerous companies he owns to comply in time, as well as reluctance of some parties to disclose certain private information in probity checks required by the Singapore government. However, Kwek was retained as an advisor for Sands' bid.
Investment
Las Vegas Sands initially committed to invest S$3.85 billion in the project, not including the fixed S$1.2 billion cost of the 6,000,000 square feet (560,000Â m2) site itself. With the escalating costs of materials, such as sand and steel, and labour shortages owing to other major infrastructure and property development in the country, Sheldon Adelson placed the total cost of the development at S$8 billion as of July 2009.
Las Vegas Sands declared the undertaking as "one of the world's most challenging construction projects and certainly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort property ever built". It expects the casino to generate at least $1 billion in annual profit. Two months after the initial phased opening, the casino attracts around 25,000 visitors daily, about a third being Singaporeans and permanent residents who pay a $80 daily entry levy or $2,000 for annual unlimited access. Half a million gamblers passed through the casino in June 2010. In the third quarter of 2012, the revenues of the Marina Bay Sands fell almost 28 per cent from a year earlier.
For the economy, Marina Bay Sands is projected to stimulate an addition of $2.7 billion or 0.8% to Singapore's Gross Domestic Product by 2015, employing 10,000 people directly and 20,000 jobs being created in other industries.
Design and construction
Moshe Safdie was approached to lead the design on this massive project, ultimately taking inspiration from the form of card decks for the unique appearance of the three hotel towers. Other key structures of the property include the 200,000-square-foot (19,000Â m2) ArtScience Museum, The Shoppes, Expo and Convention center and the casino. During the resort's planning and construction phases, feng shui consultants, the late Master Chong Swan Lek and Master Louisa Ong-Lee were consulted in regards to divination.
The landscape, designed by PWP Landscape Architecture, includes a public waterfront promenade, a public rooftop promenade, and a 1,000-meter-long landscaped bridge. The 2.5-acre Skypark spans the roofs of three hotel towers on the 57th floor and offers views of downtown Singapore. Landscape occupies nearly 30 acres at Marina Bay Sands, 75 percent of which is public space and almost all of which is on structure. The half-mile-long Waterfront Promenade features a triple allée of Roystonia palms interspersed with informal groupings of large canopy treesâ€"Khaya, Peitophorum, and Alstoniaâ€"a design that provides both scale and much-needed shade. Permeable pavement systems collect surface drainage and reduce runoff.
The engineering for the project was headed by Arup and Parsons Brinkerhoff (MEP/ELV). Arup had originally worked on prestigious projects such as the Beijing National Aquatics Centre and the Sydney Opera House. In spite of their experience in constructing challenging designs, the Marina Bay Sands project was described as the 'most difficult to carry out in the whole world' due to the amount of integration of the varied and advanced technologies needed to complete the project. Ssangyong E&C won the contract at 6.86 million dollar and completed the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, sloping up to 52 degrees from the ground surface in June, 2010.
The extensive background music system was installed by Singapore based contractor Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd.
Supply & Installation & Commissioning of Electrical & Mechanical System(M&E) by Shin Nippon Air Technologies Co., Ltd
Opening
Marina Bay Sands was originally planned to be completed in a single phase in 2009, but rising construction costs and the financial crisis forced the company to open it in phases. The first phase's preview opening was further delayed until 27 April 2010, and the official opening was pushed back to 23 June 2010. The rest of the complex remained under construction and was opened after a grand opening on 17 February 2011.
On 27 April 2010, Marina Bay Sands had the first of a planned 3 to 4 phase openings. The casino, parts of the conference hall, a segment of the Shoppes, 963 hotel rooms, and the event plaza were opened at the auspicious time of 3:18 p.m as part of the "preview opening".
On 23 June 2010, the resort had its official opening with a two-day celebration; this included the Sands SkyPark, the Event Plaza along Marina Bay, more shops, additional dining options and nightlife offerings, and the rest of the hotel rooms. First day events included a World Championship Climb on the glass facade of the building to the SkyPark, with 7 teams of 21 top rock climbers from around the world competing, and an evening concert for 4,000 invited guests and customers, featuring Diana Ross, Kelly Rowland, JJ Lin among others. The SkyPark was opened on the second day to a crowd of close to 2,000 visitors.
The two Sands theatres opened with its first show, Riverdance on 30 November 2010, while the ArtScience Museum opened its doors to the public on 19 February 2011. The tenants of the two floating pavilions, Louis Vuitton and Pangaea Club, finished their refurbishment and opened on 18 September 2011 and 22 September 2011 respectively.
Attractions
The Marina Bay Sands hotel has three 55-story towers with 2,561 luxury rooms and suites, and is capped by the Sands SkyPark, which offers 360-degree views of Singapore's skyline. The SkyPark is home to restaurants, gardens, a 150-metre vanishing edge pool, manufactured by Natare Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the world's largest public cantilever housing an observation deck. The building stands at a height of 200 metres and boasts 12,400 square metres. Dining options at the Skypark include restaurant Sky on 57 (by local celebrity chef Justin Quek), restaurant and nightclub KU DÉ TA, and executive club lounge The Club at Marina Bay Sands.
To help the Skypark withstand the natural motion of the towers caused by wind, engineers designed and constructed four movement joints beneath the main pools, each possessing a unique range of motion. The total range of motion is 500 millimetres (19.68Â inches). In addition to wind, the hotel towers are also subject to settlement in the earth over time, hence custom jack legs were built and installed to allow for future adjustment at more than 500 points beneath the pool system. This jacking system is important primarily to ensure the infinity edge of the pool continues to function properly.
Connected to the hotel towers are the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands Casino and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
The Sands Expo and Convention Centre has more than 120,000 square metres or 1.3 million square feet of meeting space, making it one of the largest and most flexible locations in Asia. It is also the biggest MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions) facility in Singapore, and the ballroom is the largest in Southeast Asia, capable of hosting up to 11,000 delegates. The Sands Expo and Convention Centre has five floors of exhibition and convention space, with up to 2,000 exhibition booths and 250 meeting rooms. It has hosted events ranging from banquets, theater-style conventions, to exhibitions and roadshows.
Located near the Sands Expo and Convention Centre is the Marina Bay Sands Casino. Spanning 15,000 square metres over four levels of gaming, the casino features over 600 gaming tables and 1,500 slot machines along with two noodle bars, The Nest and Tong Dim, and local Chinese eatery, Fatt Choi Express.
Another attraction found at Marina Bay Sands is The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. With close to 800,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is Singapore's first large-scale luxury shopping mall in the Central Business District with boutiques such as Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Cartier and Prada. Other luxury stores include Salon by Surrender, Gucci, Hermès, Emporio Armani, Chopard, REDValentino, Dior, Dunhill, Vertu, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent Paris, Salvatore Ferragamo, Montblanc, Blancpain, and an Hermès Watch Boutique. Also housed within the Shoppes are the five of the six Celebrity Chef Restaurants â€" Cut (by Wolfgang Puck), Waku Ghin (by Tetsuya Wakuda), Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza (by Mario Batali), Guy Savoy (by Guy Savoy), and DB Bistro Moderne (by Daniel Boulud).
Other attractions within The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands include a canal which runs through the length of the Shoppes, in the same style as the Venetian in Las Vegas, two Crystal Pavilions, one housing renowned nightclubs â€" Avalon and Pangaea and the other the world's largest Louis Vuitton boutique. An indoor skating rink (synthetic ice) measuring 6,500 square feet (600 m2) as well as the MasterCard Theatres, compromising of the Sands Theatre and Grand Theatre which seat 1,680 people and 2,155 people respectively can also be found at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
The MasterCard Theatres has played host to many international acts and plays since its opening, with Broadway smash musicals like The Lion King, Wicked, Annie, The Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express and My Fair Lady. Other acts such as Cirque Éloize and A. R. Rahman's Jai Ho, located in the latter during their world tours. Additionally, Marina Bay Sands has played host to Fide Fashion Weeks for 3 consecutive years since its inception in 2011.
Visitors to the Event Plaza at The Shoppes can enjoy the nightly Wonder Full show, a 13-minute light and water show featuring lasers, lights, water movements and graphics, set against the backdrop of Marina Bay Sands.
Marina Bay Sands is also home to the ArtScience Museum, With a form reminiscent of the lotus, the ArtScience Museum has been called "The Welcoming Hand of Singapore". It features an adjustable roof waterfall which uses rainwater collected when the roof is sealed in the day.
The resort also features an Art Path designed by Moshe Safdie, incorporating 11 installations by five artists including Zheng Chongbin, Antony Gormley, and Sol LeWitt. The 11 art installations were commissioned to integrate seamlessly with Moshe Safdie's iconic architecture. These art installations form the largest art commissions ever completed as part of an integrated architectural process.
Transportation
- Mass Rapid Transit (MRT): Marina Bay MRT Station, Promenade MRT Station, and Bayfront MRT Station.
- Bus services: Services 97/97e, 106, 133, 502/502A, 518/518A, NR1 (Available on Fridays, Saturdays and eve of Public Holidays), and NR6 (Available on Fridays, Saturdays and eve of Public Holidays).
- Water taxi: They can be taken from Grand Copthorne Water Front, Raffles Landing Side, Boat Quay, River Side Point and Robertson Quay to Marina Bay Sands. Ticket ranges from S$4 to S$16.
Gallery
See also
- Wonder Full
- ArtScience Museum
- Resorts World Sentosa
- Future developments in Singapore
- List of tallest buildings in Singapore
- UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim
References
Further reading
- Reid, Robert (August 2011). "Towering Imagination". Civil Engineering: the Magazine of the ASCE: 50â€"59. Discusses the engineering behind the project.
External links
- Official website
- Las Vegas Sands press release on winning integrated resort bid
- Safdie Designing Ambitious Resort in Singapore (Architectural Record)
- Marina Bay Sands pictures
- Instagram photos of Marina Bay Sands
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