The Marina Bay Sands complex brings a taste of Las Vegas to Singapore. Three 55-story hotel towers are topped by a skypark that culminates in a 213-foot-long cantilever—the signature move in a 38-acre complex that also includes a casino, a retail complex, performance venues, a convention center, and a museum.
The massive cantilever was not the only structural feat: Because of the sloping forms at the base of the hotel towers, a temporary system of struts and tension cables was devised to support the structure until the curving walls met at the 23rd story. The struts were removed, but the cables were left in place and tucked into the concrete structure.
To create a unique material identity for the SkyPark, the architects clad it in 9,000 metal-composite panels that, combined with its form, make the structure reminiscent of a bullet train.
The view from 57 stories up is breathtaking. The public can access an open observation deck on the cantilever itself, but other amenities such as the infinity pool are reserved for hotel guests.
Nearly the length of a 747 jet, the cantilever is supported, in part, by 1,400-ton box girders that extend back into the building structure.
The massive casino has gaming tables and slot machines in a setting that Safdie co-created with the Rockwell Group.
Nine million square feet of enclosed space allows for plenty of unique interior environments. The hotel tower atrium extends up to the 23rd floor, where the building narrows. The ground floor features lobby amenities and restaurants. Guest room circulation is accommodated by projecting balconies that look out over custom art installations.
