chief
Prime VIP
The £4billion Marina Bay Sands tourism development opened in the city
yesterday, and the 150-metre long pool - three times the length of an
Olympic swimming pool - was a highlight.
Don't look down: A guest swims in the infinity pool of the Skypark that
tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers - 55 stories over the city of
Singapore yesterday
To infinity... and beyond! The pool stretches 150 metres, three times the
length of an Olympic swimming pool
The view over the side: An artist's impression shows the Skypark that
tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers, including the infinity pool
Infinity pools are designed to make it seem as though the water extends
to the horizon. In reality, the edge of the pool is usually about an inch
below the water level. The water therefore spills over the edge into a
catchment below, and is then pumped back into the pool.
The concept is said to have been inspired by the terraced rice paddies in
Bali, Indonesia.
They are often seen in luxury resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands.
'In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands will be the pivot point in which tourism
here is going to explode,' gaming tycoon Sheldon Adelson, chairman of Las
Vegas Sands Corp, the parent company of the resort, said at its opening
celebration yesterday.
The resort from across the bay. The three towers were based on a deck of
cards, according to designer Moshe Safdie
A skydiver parachutes pass the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands
casino resort as part of the venue's opening celebrations yesterday
Extreme: Left, relay teams scale one of the towers in a race
commemorating the opening yesterday. Right, a newly-wed couple enjoy a
canal ride inside the resort's shopping centre
The enormous hotel, which dominates the Singapore skyline, has 2,560
rooms and suites, a fleet of celebrity chef restaurants, shopping areas,
theatres, a museum, a casino and a crystal pavilion.
The resort is set to employ 10,000 people directly and generate up to
£48million each year. Entrance to the casino alone is nearly £50 a day -
but an average of 25,000 people have visited the casino daily since its
initial phased opening two months ago.
Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of the resort, said
he expects to attract an astonishing 70,000 visitors a day, 18 million a
year.
The resort was designed by Moshe Safdie, who said he based it on a deck
of cards.
Money-maker: Left, the entrance to the casino, which costs nearly £50 to
get in and is attracting 25,000 visitors each day. Right, a man looks
through a steel web art structure in one of the towers
It was due to open in 2009, but was delayed thanks to labour and material
shortages, and funding problems due to the global financial crisis.
Last night, singing legend Diana Ross performed for 2,500 VIPs in the
resort's Grand Ballroom. Singer Kelly Rowland also headlined an outdoor
concert there yesterday.
The opening celebrations also featured a death-defying relay. Seven teams
of three participants each scaled the three towers in succession before
sprinting across the 340-metre long Sands SkyPark, where the infinity
pool is located, to the finish line.
Just enjoying the sun: Models pose in the pool for journalists at the
grand opening
yesterday, and the 150-metre long pool - three times the length of an
Olympic swimming pool - was a highlight.
Don't look down: A guest swims in the infinity pool of the Skypark that
tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers - 55 stories over the city of
Singapore yesterday
To infinity... and beyond! The pool stretches 150 metres, three times the
length of an Olympic swimming pool
The view over the side: An artist's impression shows the Skypark that
tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers, including the infinity pool
Infinity pools are designed to make it seem as though the water extends
to the horizon. In reality, the edge of the pool is usually about an inch
below the water level. The water therefore spills over the edge into a
catchment below, and is then pumped back into the pool.
The concept is said to have been inspired by the terraced rice paddies in
Bali, Indonesia.
They are often seen in luxury resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands.
'In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands will be the pivot point in which tourism
here is going to explode,' gaming tycoon Sheldon Adelson, chairman of Las
Vegas Sands Corp, the parent company of the resort, said at its opening
celebration yesterday.
The resort from across the bay. The three towers were based on a deck of
cards, according to designer Moshe Safdie
A skydiver parachutes pass the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands
casino resort as part of the venue's opening celebrations yesterday
Extreme: Left, relay teams scale one of the towers in a race
commemorating the opening yesterday. Right, a newly-wed couple enjoy a
canal ride inside the resort's shopping centre
The enormous hotel, which dominates the Singapore skyline, has 2,560
rooms and suites, a fleet of celebrity chef restaurants, shopping areas,
theatres, a museum, a casino and a crystal pavilion.
The resort is set to employ 10,000 people directly and generate up to
£48million each year. Entrance to the casino alone is nearly £50 a day -
but an average of 25,000 people have visited the casino daily since its
initial phased opening two months ago.
Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of the resort, said
he expects to attract an astonishing 70,000 visitors a day, 18 million a
year.
The resort was designed by Moshe Safdie, who said he based it on a deck
of cards.
Money-maker: Left, the entrance to the casino, which costs nearly £50 to
get in and is attracting 25,000 visitors each day. Right, a man looks
through a steel web art structure in one of the towers
It was due to open in 2009, but was delayed thanks to labour and material
shortages, and funding problems due to the global financial crisis.
Last night, singing legend Diana Ross performed for 2,500 VIPs in the
resort's Grand Ballroom. Singer Kelly Rowland also headlined an outdoor
concert there yesterday.
The opening celebrations also featured a death-defying relay. Seven teams
of three participants each scaled the three towers in succession before
sprinting across the 340-metre long Sands SkyPark, where the infinity
pool is located, to the finish line.
Just enjoying the sun: Models pose in the pool for journalists at the
grand opening
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