Blogger Elizabeth wrote about the Marina Bay Sands Resort, located in Singapore. Recently it has garnered a lot of attention, and since its creation in 2010 it has been featured in many motion pictures as well as advertisements. It is a design like no other with three beams that consist of hotel rooms holding up the restaurant and activity part of the resort. The top portion looks like a boat.–Editor Roman Rickwood
By Elizabeth Shay
One of the most breathtaking modern architectural feats I have seen in my travels is the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. Most recently Marina Bay Sands was featured in the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians–a film which brought international attention to the beautiful country. This building is definitely a sight to see. My mom is a Singapore native, and travels there were common in my childhood. Now that I am older, I can properly appreciate the culture. I am excited to write about just one of the iconic structures that Singapore boasts.
Background
Opened in 2010, the resort consists of a hotel, convention-exhibition centre, mall, theatre, “celebrity chef” restaurants, floating crystal pavilions, art-science exhibits, and a casino. The casino is the world’s largest atrium casino, with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The resort was designed by Moshe Safdie, who says that he was inspired by decks of cards. The main feature of the resort is the three hotel towers, each 55 stories tall and connected by a three-acre (130,680 square foot) roof terrace, the Sands SkyPark.
Design and Construction
The three towers have broad bases that narrow towards the top. Each tower has asymmetrical legs, which presented significant difficulties in construction. While the buildings were being constructed, substantial temporary structures for support and real-time monitoring were required.
The SkyPark connecting the hotel was pre-constructed in 14 separate steel sections before assembly atop the buildings. The park contains the world’s longest elevated swimming pool, with a vanishing edge (infinity pool). The SkyPark also has rooftop nightclubs, gardens and even a public observatory deck. An impressive design element is the cantilevered (horizontal structural element supported only at one end) segment 23 feet off of the north tower. Four movement joints, each with their own unique range of motion, are located underneath the main pool to help withstand the natural motion of the towers over time. The towers are subject to wind as well as gradual settlement into the earth, so engineers, thinking ahead, constructed and installed customized jack legs to “allow for future adjustment at more than 500 points beneath the pool system,” and ensure proper functioning of the infinity pool (Wikipedia).
Attractions
The ArtScience Museum is shaped like a lotus and has a retractable roof that creates a waterfall of collected rainwater when closed in the daytime and laser shows when opened at nighttime.
The Shoppes is the major shopping mall of the Marina Bay Sands Resort, almost 1,000,000 square feet in size and containing over 300 stores and restaurants from celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck! There is even a canal that runs through the shopping mall, with rides available to guests and shoppers.
There are also two crystal pavilions, one of which is home to the largest Louis Vuitton boutique in the world. Not to mention, the pavilion is constructed on a floating island, connected to the mall by an underwater tunnel!
Conclusion
These are just some of the amazing things that the Marina Bay Sands resort has to offer. It is truly the most impressive piece of architecture I have experienced in my travels so far. If you’re ever in Singapore, this is definitely a must-see.
Architectural Achievements Editor: Roman Rickwood
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