Marina Bay Sands is a
integrated resort
A casino hotel is an establishment consisting of a casino with temporary lodging provided in an on-premises hotel. Customers receive the benefits of both gambling facilities and lodging. Since the casino and hotel are located on the same premis ...
fronting
Marina Bay in Singapore and a landmark of the city. At its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone
casino
A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
property at
S$8 billion (US$6.88 billion).
The resort includes a 1,850-room hotel, a meetings and conventions facility at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, a 74,000-square-metre (800,000 sq ft) luxury shopping mall, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, an ArtScience museum, a 2,183-capacity theatre, the world’s first floating Apple store and the world’s first Louis Vuitton Island Maison, celebrity chef and signature restaurants, and a casino with 500 tables and 3,000 electronic gaming machines. The complex includes three towers topped by the Sands Skypark, a
skyway
A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of Cover ...
connecting with a capacity of 3,902 people and a
infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world's largest public
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...
ed platform, which overhangs the north tower by . The 20-hectare resort was designed by
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie (; born July 14, 1938) is an architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, and author. He is well known for incorporating principles of socially responsible design throughout his six-decade career. His projects include cultural, ed ...
.
The resort is owned by
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was founded by Sheldon Adelson, Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las ...
in agreement with the Singaporean authorities. Marina Bay Sands was originally set to open in 2009, but its construction faced delays caused by escalating costs of material and labour shortages from the outset exacerbated by the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
. This pressured Las Vegas Sands to delay its projects elsewhere to complete the integrated resort. Its owner decided to open the integrated resort in stages, and it was approved by the Singapore authorities. The resort and SkyPark were officially opened on 23 and 24 June 2010 as part of a two-day celebration, following the casino's
opening
Opening may refer to:
Types of openings
* Hole
* A title sequence or opening credits
* Grand opening of a business or other institution
* Inauguration
* Keynote
* Opening sentence
* Opening sequence
* Opening statement, a beginning statemen ...
on 27 April that year. The SkyPark opened the following day. The theatre was completed in time for the first performance of ''
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...
'' on 30 November. The indoor skating rink, which uses
artificial ice
An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ...
, opened to a performance by
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is a retired American competitive figure skating, figure skater and diplomat who served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Belize, United States Ambassador to Belize from 2022 to 2025. In ...
on 18 December. The ArtScience Museum opened to the public and the debut of a 13-minute light, laser and water show called Wonder Full on 19 February 2011, marked the full completion of the integrated resort.
The opening of Marina Bay Sands was held on 17 February 2011. It also marked the opening of the seven celebrity chef restaurants. The last portion of the Marina Bay Sands, the floating pavilions, were finally opened to the public when the two tenants,
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
and Pangaea Club, opened on 18 and 22 September 2011, respectively.
Background
Marina Bay Sands is one of two winning proposals for Singapore's first integrated resorts, the other being the
Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (abbreviation: RWS) is an integrated resort on the island of Sentosa, which is located off the southern coast of Singapore. The key attractions within RWS include one of Singapore's two casinos, Universal Studios Singapore ...
, which incorporates a family-friendly
Universal Studios Theme Park
Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX), formerly Universal Parks & Resorts, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast.
The company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme parks and resort propertie ...
(
Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort at Sentosa in Singapore. It features 24 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the five U ...
). The two large-scale resorts were conceived to meet Singapore's economic and tourism objectives for the next decade and will have 30-year casino licenses, exclusive for the first ten years.
Bidders were assessed based on four criteria: tourism appeal and contribution, architectural concept and design, development investment, and strength of the consortium and partners.
On 27 May 2006, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) was declared the winner with its business-oriented resort. LVS submitted its winning bid on its own. Its original partner City Developments Limited (CDL), with a proposed 15% equity stake, pulled out of the partnership in the second phase of the tender process. CDL's CEO,
Kwek Leng Beng
Kwek Leng Beng (; born 1941) is a Singaporean billionaire businessman. He is the executive chairman of Hong Leong Group Singapore. In September 2019, ''Forbes'' estimated his net worth to be US$3.4 billion.
Early life
Kwek's father, the late K ...
said his company's pullout was a combination of factors—such as difficulties in getting numerous companies he owns to comply in time, as well as reluctance of some parties to disclose certain private information in probity checks required by the
Singapore government
The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the President but exercised on the advice of the Cabinet le ...
.
However, Kwek was retained as an advisor for Sands' bid.
Investment
Las Vegas Sands initially committed to invest S$3.85 billion in the project, not including the fixed S$1.2 billion cost of the site itself. With the escalating costs of materials, such as sand and steel, and labour shortages owing to other major infrastructure and property development in the country, Sheldon Adelson placed the total cost of the development at S$8.0 billion as of July 2009.
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was founded by Sheldon Adelson, Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las ...
declared the undertaking as "one of the world's most challenging construction projects and certainly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort property ever built".
It expected the casino to generate at least $1 billion in annual
profit
Profit may refer to:
Business and law
* Profit (accounting), the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market
* Profit (economics), normal profit and economic profit
* Profit (real property), a nonpossessory inter ...
. Two months after the initial phased opening, the casino was attracting around 25,000 visitors daily, about a third being
Singaporeans
Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
and permanent residents who paid a $150 daily entry levy or $3,000 for annual unlimited access. Half a million gamblers passed through the casino in June 2010. In the third quarter of 2012, the revenues of the Marina Bay Sands fell almost 28 per cent from a year earlier.
For the economy, Marina Bay Sands was projected to stimulate an addition of $2.7 billion or 0.8% to
Singapore's Gross Domestic Product by 2015, employing 10,000 people directly and 20,000 jobs being created in other industries.
On 3 April 2019, Sands announced a $3.3 billion expansion of its Marina Bay Sands property in Singapore. The expansion will include the construction of a fourth hotel tower containing 1,000 luxury suites and a 15,000-seat arena.
In October 2024, Sands announced it would increase its investment to US$8 billion on its expansion, described as an entirely new development dubbed “Marina Bay Sands IR2”. The development is slated to boast 570 luxury suites, 110,000 square feet of MICE space, its own SkyPark and high-end F&B, in addition to the 15,000-seat arena previously announced.
As the development of Marina Bay Sands was perceived as critical in Singapore's urbanization efforts, a fixed price was set for the land. This was a departure from the government auctioning off the land to the highest bidder. Bidders were instead assessed holistically on factors such as the design of the Marina Bay Sands and the amenities it would offer.
Design and construction

The resort is designed by
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie (; born July 14, 1938) is an architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, and author. He is well known for incorporating principles of socially responsible design throughout his six-decade career. His projects include cultural, ed ...
, who says it was initially inspired by card decks.
The prominent feature of the design is the three hotel towers, which has 1,850 rooms and suites, and a continuous lobby at the base links the three towers. The casino has a four-storey central atrium with four levels of gaming and entertainment in one space. In addition to the hotel and the casino, other buildings include a
ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is a museum within the integrated resort of Marina Bay Sands in the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area in Singapore. Opened on 17 February 2011 by Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, it feat ...
,
and Sands Expo & Convention Centre with of space, capable of accommodating up to 45,000 people. The resort's architecture and major design changes along the way were also approved by its
feng shui
Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...
consultants, the late Chong Swan Lek and Louisa Ong-Lee.
Aedas
Aedas is an architectural firm founded by the Welsh architect Keith Griffiths. Aedas employs 1,000 staff in its twelve offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Dubai, Riyadh, Delhi and Seattle and provides services in archite ...
were responsible for employing all consultants and for developing, co-ordinating and implementing the design. The structural engineering for the project was handled by
Arup with
Parsons Brinckerhoff
WSP USA, formerly Parsons Brinckerhoff, is an American multinational engineering and design firm. The firm operates in the fields of strategic consulting, planning, engineering, construction management, energy, infrastructure and community plann ...
the
MEP engineers. The main contractor was
Ssangyong Engineering and Construction.
The three towers are broader at the base and narrow as they rise. Each tower has two asymmetric legs, with a curved eastern leg leaning against the other, creating a significant technical challenge in its construction. Substantial temporary structures were necessary to support the legs of the tower while they were under construction, and required real-time monitoring for continual assessment and analyses in the course of their erection.
A distinctive feature of the Hotel is Sands SkyPark, a 1.2-hectare tropical oasis that is longer than the Eiffel Tower and extends to form one of the world’s longest public cantilevers. Built at the height of 200m, the structure offers 12,400sqm of space – big enough to fit three football fields. The structure bridges all three towers with a segment cantilevered off the north tower. The hull of the SkyPark was pre-fabricated off-site in 14 separate steel sections and then assembled on top of the towers. There are four movement joints beneath the main pools, designed to help them withstand the natural motion of the towers, and each joint has a unique range of motion. The total range of motion is . In addition to wind, the hotel towers are also subject to settlement in the earth over time, so engineers built and installed custom jack legs to allow for future adjustment at more than 500 points beneath the pool system. This jacking system is important primarily to ensure the infinity edge of the pool continues to function properly.
Opening
Marina Bay Sands was originally planned to be completed in a single phase in 2009,
but rising construction costs and the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
forced the company to open it in phases. The first phase's
soft opening
A soft launch, also known as a soft opening, is a preview release of a product or service to a limited audience prior to the general public. Soft-launching a product is sometimes used to gather data or customer feedback, prior to making it wid ...
was further delayed until 27 April 2010, and the official opening was pushed back to 23 June 2010. The rest of the complex remained under construction and was opened after a
grand opening
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event. on 17 February 2011.
On 27 April 2010, Marina Bay Sands had the first of a planned 3 to 4 phase openings. The casino, parts of the conference hall, a segment of the Shoppes, 963 hotel rooms and the event plaza were opened at the auspicious time of 3:18 p.m as part of the "preview opening".
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) held the first conference at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on 2–5 May 2010, but the event was marred by uncompleted facilities and power failure during a speech. IPBA withheld payment of S$300,000 and was consequently sued by Marina Bay Sands.
In June IPBA counter-sued, describing the venue as a "complete disaster" and that its earlier payments had been imposed by "duress, fear and force".
An "amicable settlement" with undisclosed terms was announced in August.
On 23 June 2010, the resort had its official opening with a "2-day celebration"; this includes the Sands SkyPark, the Event Plaza along
Marina Bay, more shops, additional dining options and nightlife offerings, and the rest of the hotel rooms. First day events included a "World Championship Climb" on the glass facade of the building to the SkyPark, with seven teams of 21 top rock climbers from around the world competing, and an evening concert for 4,000 invited guests and customers, featuring one international
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
such as
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...
and one national
contemporary
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...
R&B such as
Sylvia Ratonel
Sylvia Anne Ratonel (born 14 June 1988) is a Singaporean singer and spokesmodel. She is most popularly known as the first female finalist in ''Singapore Idol'' history as well as being the runner-up of the third season. The show launched her ca ...
. The SkyPark was opened on the second day at 2 p.m.,
with about 2,000 adult tickets costing S$20 each sold.
Sands heatre was completed in time for the first performance with the theatrical show
Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...
on 30 November 2010. ArtScience Museum opened its doors to the public at 10 am on 19 February 2011. The musical
''The Lion King'' made its debut on 3 March 2011. The floating pavilions were opened when the tenants Louis Vuitton and Pangaea Club finished their refurbishment and opened on 18 September 2011, and 22 September 2011, respectively. ''The Lion King'' ran its last show on 30 October 2011.
Expansion
Marina Bay Sands is set to have a new development constructed by 2031, at an estimated cost of US$8 billion. Plans for the standalone development was earlier announced in 2019, and will feature 570 luxury suites, 110,000 sq ft of MICE space, its own SkyPark, and a 15,000 capacity arena.
In early 2025, Las Vegas Sands secured a US$9 billion loan to finance the expansion. The loan is said to be the biggest corporate loan in the history of Singapore. Las Vegas Sands is expected to complete the expansion between 2030 and 2031. Also in 2025, a renovation of all the hotel rooms was completed.
Facilities

Marina Bay Sands has three 55-storey hotel towers which were topped out in July 2009. The three towers are connected by a 1.2 hectare rooftop cantilever, Sands SkyPark . The Skypark
observation deck
An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from we ...
provides panoramic views across the bay.
In front of the three towers, they include the Theatre Block for performances, the Convention and Exhibition Facilities Block, as well as the Casino Block, which has 1,000 gaming tables and 1,400 slot machines. To enter the casino, Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) have to pay a SGD$150 fee for a one time entry and a S$2000 fee for an annual pass. The fee was changed on 4 April 2019, to SGD$150 for a one-time visit and S$3000 for yearly visits.
The
ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is a museum within the integrated resort of Marina Bay Sands in the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area in Singapore. Opened on 17 February 2011 by Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, it feat ...
is constructed next to the three blocks and has the shape of a
lotus, composed of 21 gallery spaces with a total floor area of approximately 50,000 sqft (5,000 sqm). The building is composed of 10 “fingers”, with the tallest standing 60m above ground. Its roof is retractable, providing a waterfall through the roof of collected rainwater when closed in the day and laser shows when opened at night. In front of The Shoppes, at the Event Plaza along the Waterfront Promenade, a light and water show, Spectra, is staged each evening. An original light and water show, titled Wonder Full, produced by
Laservision
LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United States in 1978 under the name Dis ...
, ran from 2011 to 2017. It was subsequently replaced by a new light and water show name
Spectrain 2017. The ArtScience Museum and Wonder Full show opened on 17 February 2011.
The SkyPark has the world's longest elevated swimming pool,
with a vanishing edge (a concept called an
infinity pool
An infinity poolAlso called a ''negative edge pool'', ''vanishing edge pool'', ''infinity edge pool'', ''zero edge pool'', ''overflow pool'' or ''spillover pool''. is a reflecting pool or swimming pool where the water flows over one or more edge ...
) located above ground. The pools are made up of of stainless steel and can hold of water. The SkyPark also has rooftop nightclubs such as Lavo (New York, Vegas) and Cé La Vi, gardens, hundreds of trees and plants, and a public observatory deck on the
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...
with 360-degree views of the Singapore skyline. The SkyPark is accessible only to hotel guests for security reasons.
The Shoppes is the main shopping mall at Marina Bay Sands, with close to of retail space with over 270 stores and F&B outlets, featuring premium and luxury brands such as
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren (brand), Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He stepped do ...
,
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...
,
Cartier Cartier may refer to:
People
* Cartier (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Cartier Martin (born 1984), American basketball player
Places
* Cartier Island, an island north-west of Australia that is part of Australi ...
,
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
,
Gucci
Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...
,
Hermès
Hermès International S.A. ( , ) is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, silk goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Since the ...
,
Emporio Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
,
Chopard
Le Petit-Fils de L.-U. Chopard & Cie S.A., commonly known as Chopard (), is a Swiss manufacturer and retailer of luxury watches, jewellery and accessories. Founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in Sonvilier, Switzerland, Chopard has been owned ...
,
Valentino
Valentino may refer to
People
* Valentino (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Valentino (given name), including a list of people with the name
Mononymous persons
* Valentino (fashion designer) (born Valentino Clemente Ludovic ...
,
Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French Multinational corporation, multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of ...
,
Dunhill,
Vertu
Vertu (stylised VERTU) is a manufacturer and retailer of luxury handmade mobile phones, established in 1998 and formerly owned by Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia. Previously located in the UK, ownership of the brand is now contes ...
,
Miu Miu
Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women's clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Milan, Italy.
Silvia Onofri is its CEO.
History
Miu Miu was established in 1992 ...
,
Saint Laurent Paris
Yves Saint Laurent SAS (, , , ), also known as Saint Laurent and YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The company specializes in ''couture'', ready-to-wear, leather accessor ...
,
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. An innovative shoe designer, Salvatore Ferragamo established a reputation in the 1930 ...
,
Montblanc,
Blancpain
Blancpain SA () is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, headquartered in Paudex/Le Brassus, Switzerland. It designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells prestige and luxury mechanical watches. Founded by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, Swit ...
,
Vera Wang Bride, an
Hermès
Hermès International S.A. ( , ) is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, silk goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Since the ...
watch boutique, and
Herve Leger.
A canal runs through the length of the Shoppes, in the same style as
The Venetian in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
.
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat-bottomed wooden boat found in East, Southeast, and South Asia. It is possibly of Chinese or Austronesian origin. Some sampans include a small shelter on board and may be used as a permanent habitation on in ...
rides on the canal are available for guests and shoppers at the shopping mall, similar to the
gondola
The gondola (, ; , ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, in a scul ...
rides available in the Venetian. Also housed within the Shoppes are several Celebrity Chef restaurants—Bread Street Kitchen (by
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay (; born ) is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur, television presenter, and writer. His restaurant group, List of restaurants owned or operated by Gordon Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has ...
), Cut (by
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck (born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian chef and restaurateur.
Early life
Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Jos ...
), Waku Ghin (by
Tetsuya Wakuda
(born 18 June 1959) is a Japanese-born Australian chef based in Sydney. He was the leading judge in the final episode of the second season of '' Junior MasterChef Australia''.
Background
Early life
Tetsuya Wakuda was born on June 18, 1959, i ...
), and Maison (by
Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud (born 25 March 1955) is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Toronto, Montréal, Singapore, the Bahamas, and Dubai. He is best known for his eponymous restaurant Daniel, opened in Ne ...
).
The north side of the Shoppes used to contain an ice skating rink, which used
artificial ice
An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ...
. In 2017, it was replaced with Digital Light Canvas by Japanese art collective
TeamLab (art collective)
TeamLab is an international art collective, an interdisciplinary group of artists formed in 2001 in Tokyo, Japan. The group consists of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects who refer to themselves as “ul ...
.

When Marina Bay Sands first opened, it featured two Crystal Pavilions located along the Waterfront Promenade and linked to the shopping mall. Despite a brief legal dispute in June 2011, it was decided that one of the Pavilions will house two nightclubs—Avalon and Pangaea. The second Pavilion houses the world's largest
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
boutique, in addition to being on a floating island, at , which is connected to the portion of the boutique in the Shoppes via an underwater tunnel. Both Pavilions opened in 2011 just before the
2011 Formula One season
The 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 65th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. The original calendar for the 2011 Formula One World Championship consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Gran ...
came to the
Marina Bay Street Circuit
The Marina Bay Street Circuit (otherwise known as the Singapore Street Circuit) is a street circuit around Marina Bay, Singapore, encompassing the planning areas of Downtown Core (Turns 4 to 19) and Kallang (Turns 1 to 3).
It is the venue f ...
. The Pavilion vacant by Avalon and Pangaea was taken over by Singapore's third
Apple Store
The Apple Store is a chain of Retail, retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell, service and repair various Apple products, including Macintosh, Mac desktop and MacBook laptop personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad ta ...
, Apple Marina Bay Sands, in 2020. Their third store in Singapore feature the company's first store that sits on water and one that is of spherical design.
The luxury resort also features a performance venue Sands Theatre, which seats 2,183 guests and has presented internationally acclaimed musicals and performances including The Lion King,
Cirque Éloize
Cirque Éloize ( iʁk elwaz is a contemporary circus company founded in Montreal in 1993 by Jeannot Painchaud, Daniel Cyr, Claudette Morin, and Julie Hamelin. Its productions combine circus arts with music, dance, technology, and theatre. "Éloiz ...
,
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...
's
Jai Ho, and ''
Wicked
Wicked may refer to:
Books
* ''Wicked'' (Maguire novel), a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name
* ''Wicked'', a 1997 novel series collaboration between Australian children's authors Paul Jennings and Morris ...
''.
Moshe Safdie designed an Art Path within the resort, incorporating installations by five artists including Zheng Chongbin,
Antony Gormley
Sir Antony Mark David Gormley (born 30 August 1950) is a British sculptor. His works include the ''Angel of the North'', a public sculpture in Gateshead in the north of England, commissioned in 1994 and erected in February 1998; ''Another Pl ...
and
Sol LeWitt
Solomon "Sol" LeWitt (September 9, 1928 – April 8, 2007) was an American artist linked to various movements, including conceptual art and minimalism.
LeWitt came to fame in the late 1960s with his wall drawings and "structures" (a term he pref ...
. The pieces are meant to play on environmental influences including light, water and wind, integrating art with architecture.
Attraction

In 2011, Marina Bay Sands launched a nightly light and water show, titled ''Wonder Full'', a multimedia show designed by the Australian multimedia company
Laservision
LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United States in 1978 under the name Dis ...
and incorporated various Laservision technology such as the Stella Ray. The show starts off with a single drop of water, representing the birth of life. It later stages through important stages of a person's life such as childhood, development through age and adulthood.
In 2017, Wonder Full was replaced with a new light and water show, titled Spectra. Set to an original orchestral soundtrack composed by Singaporean producer and composer Kenn C., Spectra is a state-of-the-art multimedia experience that is dramatic in scale and unique in style. The 15-minute show is currently staged every night at 8pm and 9pm (Sundays to Thursdays), with a third show at 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Transportation
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
*
Bayfront (
Circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...
and
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
Lines)
Public buses
* Services 97/97e, 106, 133, 502/502A, 518/518A
Water taxi
* From Grand Copthorne Water Front, Raffles Landing Side, Boat Quay, River Side Point and Robertson Quay
Controversies
In 2010, about one month before Marina Bay Sands opened, Reuters reported that Marina Bay Sands had links with Hong Kong criminal organizations operating in Macau, according to court documents of a case of attempted murder. Several male gangsters of the criminal group
Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To, or WHT ( zh, j=wo hap tou, t=和合圖), is a triad group based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association", or "Harmonious Union Plan", and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pu ...
, were put in jail for that case. Witnesses testified that the mastermind was Mr Cheung Chi-tai, who operates a VIP room related to the murder attempt in the casino of Sands Macau. Mr Cheung is also a leader of the same criminal group. Opposition parties, such as the
National Solidarity Party, and media commentators, raised concerns about the links with criminal organisations.
In June 2020, it was reported that Marina Bay Sands was under investigation by the US Department of Justice over alleged breaches of anti-money laundering regulations.
Publicising of winnings
In 2011, Marina Bay Sands announced it would stop publicising details of winners and the amount of their winnings on its website. Then-Minister for Community Development, Youth, and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan had earlier stated in Parliament that his ministry would take steps to stop such publicity.
The web pages in question were titled "Celebrate With the Winners" and "Mystery Car Jackpot", and included the names of the jackpot winners, which machines they had used, and the amount of their winnings.
Although it had previously stated that it had operated in accordance with applicable law, the casino subsequently took down the relevant web pages and said it would stop such future publicity.
Jackpot Aunty (2011)
In late 2011, Marina Bay Sands had a dispute with Madam Choo Hong Eng, on whether she was entitled to winnings which a slot machine had allegedly shown that she had won on 18 October 2011. The jackpot in question was SGD 416,721.12. A casino manager claimed that it was a machine error. During negotiations, the casino offered to give her a car which was worth SGD 258,962 instead. Mdm Choo appointed a lawyer to demand that Marina Bay Sands pay her the whole sum. Several days later, the casino agreed to pay her the full amount.
The Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore censured the casino for failing to keep its machine operating properly, although it ultimately found that the casino had not intentionally sought to deceive Mdm Choo or deprive her of her prize.
According to media reports, Mdm Choo subsequently donated her winnings to charities instead of keeping it for herself.
Data breach (2023)
In late October 2023, Marina Bay Sands reported a data leak of some 665,000 members of a shopper's
rewards program
A loyalty program or rewards program is a marketing strategy designed to encourage customers to continue to shop at or use the services of one or more businesses associated with the program.
Single-company vs. coalition programs
Loyalty progr ...
. Marina Bay Sands reported that Members' personal information were accessed by an unknown third party operator. While there have not been reports of the leaked information being used to cause harm, personal information such as members' names, e-mail addresses, or phone numbers could be used against them in phishing and other scam campaigns. The incident was reported to the appropriate authorities.
In popular culture
* The towers of the Marina Bay Sands have made multiple televised appearance on various franchises of ''
The Amazing Race
''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality competition franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. ''The Amazing Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselv ...
'' including the
fourth season of the
Asian edition of ''The Amazing Race'', the
first season of the
Australian edition of ''The Amazing Race'', the
second season of the
Israeli edition of ''The Amazing Race'', and the
twenty-fifth season of the original
American edition of ''The Amazing Race'', all of which featured a tightrope walking task between two of the resort's towers. The SkyPark served as the finish line for the first season of the British show ''
Race Across the World''.
* A partially destroyed version of the structure was featured in the 2015 video game ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3'', which takes place 10 years after a biochemical disaster rendered most of Singapore's eastern half inhospitable.
* It was featured in the 2015 movie ''
Hitman: Agent 47'', appearing along with Gardens by the Bay.
* The trailer of the 2016 movie ''
Independence Day: Resurgence'' has a scene depicting the destruction of the property after being caught in the
gravitational pull
In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force be ...
of a hovering alien spacecraft.
* It was also featured in the 2018 film ''
Crazy Rich Asians
''Crazy Rich Asians'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the 2013 novel by Kevin Kwan. The film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lis ...
'', both in scenic
B-roll
In film and television production, B-roll, B roll, B-reel or B reel is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot. The term ''A-roll'', referring to main footage, has fallen out of use to some degree.
Film and video produc ...
of Singapore, as well as a setting towards the end of the film.
* Both the completed and partially destroyed versions of the structure are featured in the 2019 animated film ''
Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire'', in the opening, various parts of the film, and the end credits.
* In the videogame ''
Mario Kart Tour
is a 2019 kart racing mobile game developed and published by Nintendo for Android and iOS. It is the ninth game in the Mario Kart series. The game features biweekly, downloadable themed tours with different cups, each of which has three course ...
'' the first version of the Singapore Speedway track involves the racers riding a platform to the top of the Marina Bay Sands and driving across the infinity pool, where various Goombas in inner tubes are part of the obstacles. A later version of the track has the racers getting on top of the science art museum and jumping from the top. The track returns as DLC content for ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' as the final track of the Boomerang Cup and it combines all three versions of the original track, including the pool and museum areas.
*
Lego
Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
released a miniature set called "Singapore 21057" in their Architecture theme. The set includes iconic landmarks in Singapore, including the Marina Bay Sands.
Gallery
File:Marina Bay Sands11.jpg, The three towers of the Marina Bay Sands with the ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is a museum within the integrated resort of Marina Bay Sands in the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area in Singapore. Opened on 17 February 2011 by Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, it feat ...
on the left
File:Rear view of the Merlion statue at Merlion Park, Singapore, with Marina Bay Sands in the distance - 20140307.jpg, View of Marina Bay Sands hotel from the Merlion
The Merlion () is the official mascot of Singapore. It is depicted as a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Being of prominent symbolic nature to Singapore and Singaporeans in general, it is widely used to represen ...
File:Marina-Sands-Bay-2017-Luka-Peternel.jpg, Night view of Marina Bay Sands from Gardens by the Bay
The Gardens by the Bay (GBTB) is an urban park spanning in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden in Marina South, Bay East ...
File:Aerial of the roof top pool Marina Bay Sands Hotel (36592484922) (2).jpg, Aerial view of the rooftop pool of Marina Bay Sands
File:SandsExpoandConventionCenter-Singapore-20100427.jpg, Inside the Sands Expo and Convention Centre
File:Marina Bay Sands Hotel Lobby view 201012.jpg, Inside the hotel lobby
See also
*
Future developments in Singapore
This article shows the notable future developments in Singapore. Most of them are currently under construction with most to be completed within the next five years.
Commercial 8 Shenton Way (Redevelopment of AXA Tower)
Announced by the Ur ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Singapore
Singapore is a highly urbanised country with over 10,000 completed Tower block, high-rises, the majority of which are located in the Downtown Core, its central business district (CBD). In the CBD, there are over 100 skyscrapers. The Guoco Tower ...
*
Architecture of Singapore
The architecture of Singapore displays a range of influences and styles from different places and periods. These range from the eclectic styles and hybrid forms of the colonial period to the tendency of more contemporary architecture to incor ...
*
List of integrated resorts
An integrated resort is a type of casino hotel that features hotel space, a casino, convention or meeting space, retail, dining and entertainment options. This article lists integrated resorts by their locations. Integrated resorts which are c ...
Similar towers
* The Gate (
Shams Abu Dhabi
The Shams Abu Dhabi project will be developed on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi by Sorouh Real Estate and occupy approximately 25% of the island. It will occupy , of which 90% will be dedicated to residential buildings and has a potential of developing ...
), building in Abu Dhabi
*
Toranomon Hills
is a skyscraper complex built by Mori Building in the Toranomon district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Designed by Nihon Sekkei, it is located around the new Loop Road No. 2, a surface artery that connects the Shinbashi and Toranomon districts.
His ...
References
Notes
Further reading
* Discusses the engineering behind the project.
External links
*
Las Vegas Sands press release on winning integrated resort bidSafdie Designing Ambitious Resort in Singapore (Architectural Record)Moshe Safdie and Associates , Project Details of the Marina Bay SandsOpening Event , Laservision
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marina Bay Sands, The
2010 establishments in Singapore
Casinos completed in 2010
Hotel buildings completed in 2010
Casinos in Singapore
Tourism in Singapore
Marina Bay, Singapore
Tourist attractions in Singapore
Landmarks in Singapore
Hotels in Singapore
Resorts in Singapore
Convention centres in Singapore
Shopping malls in Singapore
Moshe Safdie buildings
Sheldon Adelson
Casino hotels in Singapore