Last summer, this monstrous structure resembling a cruise ship dropped anchor next to the financial district of Singapore. It is the latest enterprise of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the new Marina Bay Sands.
The six billion dollar project is yet another mega-casino center developed, with shopping malls, restaurants, condominiums, a museum, convention centers, theaters, nightclubs, and hotel rooms (almost forgot those). What this particular getaway has unlike any other, aside from its ship-on-stilts appearance, is its Sands Sky Park. This main attraction is elevated 57 stories above Singapore, and features public gardens, a restaurant, observation decks, and a 150-meter infinity swimming pool (pictured). It is truly an architectural and scenic wonder, while the massive cantilever on which it is supported is a structural marvel.
Not yet one year in age, Marina Bay Sands, along with the other Singapore development Resorts World Sentosa, are “well on track to achieving the target of contributing 5.4 billion Singapore dollars (4.3 billion U.S. dollars) per year to the economy.” U.S. efforts by gaming corporations have been made as well to try and jumpstart our struggling economy, namely MGM’s $8 billion City Center development in Las Vegas. However, the projected results of Marina Bay Sands are going to benefit the city-state of Singapore in much greater measures. Perhaps the most efficient strategy to lift the building and construction industry is to explore overseas, and contract work while also helping a foreign economy.
Sheldon Adelson, chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp., has certainly not been shy about scouting and surveying development sites outside our country’s borders. Las Vegas Sands has two prominent properties, Sands Macau and the Venetian Macau, in the world’s new gambling center. While the Marina Bay Sands came in at second after the aforementioned City Center, Adelson looks to claim that top sot, setting his sights (and course) for Spain.
From a building perspective, whether its land development, design or construction, it evidently appears that the hefty bankrolls, the large-scale projects, the colossal conceptions, are being realized overseas. Personally, I am grabbing my portfolio and my passport, boarding the next plane to Barcelona, and hoping for a serendipitous run-in with Mr. Adelson.
Las Vegas used to be the "World's Playground," but sadly, that appears to be no more. With spectacular buildings such as the one you mentioned in Singapore, casinos in Dubai, and countless other foreign casino investments by companies in places like China, we are witnesses to an era of architecture and construction unmatched by any other era.
ReplyDeleteFrom a business standpoint, it seems like Las Vegas has been more or less tapped out, which has forced American countries to invest billions abroad to spur growth. For any American company, growth is overseas, where there is less regulation and competition.
The buildings that are being designed are masterpieces and lets not forget about the City Center in Vegas. I think that the future of Vegas is the City Center. The design is phenomenal and casinos such as the Cosmopolitan and the Aria are new-age castles!