Ground broken on Singapore’s $8bn Las Vegas Sands development

The new development, an expansion of Marina Bay Sands, will feature a 57-suite luxury, 55-storey hotel tower, a 15,000-seat arena designed by Populous, luxury retail space, and 200,000 sq ft of meeting space, set against the backdrop of Marina Bay and the Singapore Strait.

The hotel will feature overlapping ellipses on its rooftop called Skyloop, that offers an observatory, restaurants and rooftop gardens. There will also be a cantilevered “wellness area”.

Las Vegas Sands said it was also exploring different approaches to designing shade for guest comfort and to reduce energy consumption, including a self-shading façade system using high-performance glazing and internal blinds. Each suite will also have its own private terrace and garden.

The overall scheme is being designed by Safdie Architects, led by Moshe Safdie.

Low-carbon concrete and recycled steel will be used during construction, according to Las Vegas Sands, and at least 75% of construction waste will be diverted to reduce landfill disposal.

Sands president and chief operating officer Patrick Dumont said, “Our new development will raise the bar and redefine the ultra-luxury hospitality realm on a global scale, fuelling further growth of high-value tourism while our state-of-the-art arena will attract the world’s most popular performers and usher in a new era of live entertainment in the region.”

The hotel tower is set to be completed by 2030.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Las Vegas Sands’ development at Marina Bay Sands (Image: Marina Bay Sands)