Certain projects are so exceptional that they only occur once in an architect's career, even for the most distinguished professionals. If they're particularly fortunate, such opportunities may arise two or three times. The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is a perfect example of such a project. Safdie Architects was asked by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation to create a competitive design proposal for Marina Bay, which would be evaluated by the Singaporean government. Architects who are particularly fortunate may be able to take advantage of such opportunities twice or three times in their careers.
With a total project cost (including the cost of land) of USD 5.7 billion, the Marina Bay Sands is an 845,000 square meter high-density mixed-use resort destination that features a 2,560-room hotel, a convention center, retail spaces, a museum, and a state-of-the-art casino. Set along Singapore's Marina Bay waterfront, the resort acts as the icing of Singapore's Central Business District—a backdrop for a dynamic and vibrant public life.
Our challenge was to create a vital public place at the district-urban scale, in other words, to address the issue of megascale and invent an urban landscape that would work at the human scale.
Seeing as how the sheer programmatic scale of the project would be rather complex, Moshe's design approach was inspired by how ancient cities were organized around a major public thoroughfare. Recognizing that the in-between spaces are equally, if not more, important than the actual spaces in urban design, Marina Bay Sands was ordered along two principal pedestrian axes that transverse the entire district and connect to the subway and other transportation channels. For the visitor, these two circulation arteries act as a way-finding datum, seeing as most programs are arranged along them. It is here that perhaps the design ingenuity of the architect takes center stage—how the structure is weaved with the promenade and how the two are in constant dialogue.
The pedestrian streets feature the following spaces: the Shoppes, a multi-level 74,000 square meter retail and restaurant arcade; two theaters with a combined seating capacity of 4,000; the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, which features flexible convention and exhibition spaces; and a hydraulically adjustable 5,000 square meter event piazza that can accommodate up to 10,000 guests.
Floating and seemingly docked on the waterfront's edge are two Crystal Pavilions that house shops and nightclubs. At the end of the public promenade, standing on a perpetual lily pond, is the iconic ArtScience Museum. Inspired by a lotus flower, the museum is distinctive in its design and forms a rewarding sculptural landscape element, worthy of the long walk towards it. The Las Vegas Sands Corporation set out to make Marina Bay Sands a gambler's dream come true, and the casino remained true to this aspiration. Located in a 15,000 square meter space, the atrium-style casino features four levels of gaming and entertainment with a ceiling that holds a 7-tonne chandelier with 132,000 Swarovski crystals and 66,000 LEDs.
What is seen in Singapore's skyline are three 55-story towers that house a hotel and frame two grandiose window-like vistas for the Central Business District towards the waterfront. But probably the most celebrated element in the entire Marina Bay Sands is the 340-meter Sands SkyPark that delicately sits atop these three towers. An engineering marvel in its own right, the 1.2-acre SkyPark is longer than the Eiffel Tower and is tall and large enough to house four and a half A380 Airbus jumbo jets. It cantilevers 65 meters on one side and brings together gardens, jogging paths, restaurants, and lounges. Running on one edge of the SkyPark is a 151-meter infinity swimming pool—the largest outdoor pool at its height. And offering sweeping panoramic views of the city is a public observatory on the cantilevered side. Borrowing a leaf from Singapore's "Garden City" urban design concept, the SkyPark is shielded from winds with 250 trees and 650 plants.
To improve the visiting experience, Moshe Safdie chose and collaborated with five internationally renowned artists to construct seven huge public art pieces. The Art Path includes works by James Carpenter, Antony Gormley, Ned Kahn, Sol LeWitt, and Chongbin Zheng, which engage the public with the blurring line between art and architecture. Whereas many architects would have created a single item in a project of this magnitude, Moshe Safdie effectively blended many building typologies to produce a fascinating and unique experience. And, while some may argue that the development as a whole is overloaded with design languages, I believe it is successful in its own right and provides a great case study in the design of mini-cities.
Looking for more architectural inspiration? Explore other breathtaking designs like the Emerson Resort and Spa, New York, where modern elegance meets nature's splendor.
Project Information
Architect: Safdie Architects
Location: Singapore
Client: Las Vegas Sands Corporation
Architect-of-Record: Aedas, Pte, Ltd.
Structural: Arup
MEP Engineers: R.G. Vanderweil, LLP, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Landscape: Peter Walker & Partners, Peridian International Inc, Howard Fields Assoc. International
Lighting: Project Lighting Design
Other Consultants: The Rockwell Group, Fisher Dachs Associates, Pentagram
Area: 845,000 sqm
Height: 57 stories, 195 metres
Cost: USD 5.7 Billion, including land cost
Status: Completed, 2010
Photographs: Safdie Architects
