After months of anticipation, the “surfboard” sitting atop the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is ready to be unveiled to the public this Thursday.
Yahoo! Singapore got an early sneak peek at what is officially known as the SkyPark, and all I’ve got to say is — prepare to be wowed.
Standing at a dizzying 200m, the S$150 million SkyPark is a spacious lifestyle venue the size of two football fields or 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Designed like a tropical resort, the Skypark features stone walkways lined with timber decks and palm trees surrounding the infinity pool and jacuzzi tubs.
Enhancing the stunning landscape is the 150m infinity pool – the highest swimming pool in the country – that fittingly seems to stretch endlessly into the horizon. Hotel guests get to splash in and enjoy a luxurious dip more than 50 storeys above ground.
The up-and-coming rooftop hangout also houses a variety of restaurants and bars perfect for soaking in the breathtaking view. At $20, $14 and $17 for adult, child and senior citizen admissions respectively, the SkyPark costs less than the Singapore Flyer (S$29.50 for adult admission), which it overlooks.
For those who have been watching the progress of the SkyPark’s construction, the ”surfboard” is actually curved like a boomerang when one is viewing it from one end to another. Rimmed by 2m-high glass panels,visitors can get right up to the edge of the observation deck jutting out over the hotel towers for a spine-tingling view.
As part of its opening celebration this Wednesday, MBS is hosting the first-ever World Championship Climb in which 21 professional climbers will scale the facade of the three interlinked 55-storey hotel towers to the SkyPark on the 57th floor.
Hot favourite Team Commonwealth climber, Tim Emmett, 36, tells Yahoo! Singapore that this competition is a “first ever” for him and that MBS is the tallest building he’s scaled so far.
“It is a beautiful piece of architecture with the infinity pools and an incredible view. Can’t wait to take a splash after I’m done with the climb!” he gushes.
22-year-old student Marcus Chan tells Yahoo! Singapore, “The S$20 admission is slightly pricey but I’m curious to find out if the view from up there is really that amazing.”
MBS CEO Thomas Arasi sums up the top-of-the-world experience best by saying, “It is like a stage set before the city and the waterfront…When you are up at the Skypark, you will feel as if you are sitting on a cloud overlooking everything around you.”
- Yahoo! Singapore News
MM Lee tours Marina Bay Sands ahead of grand opening
By Imelda Saad | Posted: 22 June 2010 2148 hrs
SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said it will take up to
seven years for Singapore's second Integrated Resort to reach capacity.
He made the comments after touring Marina Bay Sands, one day ahead of
its grand opening.
With Las Vegas Sands' Sheldon Adelson by his side, the Minister Mentor
spent about 1.5 hours at Marina Bay Sands.
He said he wanted a tour of the area to form his own impression on what
he thinks are the chances of the project succeeding.
MM Lee said: "I am interested to see what are the backroom workings of
it and I make my own impressions on what I think the chances of it
succeeding are.”
For that, Mr Lee was brought to the convention centre, one of Southeast
Asia's largest, the retail strip, casino and the finale - a breathtaking
view from the Sky Park.
All around, workers were busy putting last minute touches in preparation
of the grand opening on Wednesday.
Mr Lee said: "It's a striking, splendid building. It adds to the
landscape in a dramatic fashion and what I've seen in the inside, it
justifies the outlook. I think now is to make sure it draws in customers
as it's supposed to and when it does that it will transform the
nightlife of Singapore."
Mr Lee said with a project this scale, the US$5.5 billion Marina Bay
Sands could take three to seven years to reach full capacity.
That's when results from tourism and convention trade can be seen.
MM Lee said: "It's a very big project. When it's all filled up, it will
increase our tourist trade and people who come here for conventions
multi-fold. That's quite a job to do in a couple of years. The word has
got to spread. It can't spread with just one news conference or one
display. People have to come here, enjoy it, and word of mouth will
bring more in."
However the Sands chairman was a lot more upbeat.
Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas Sands chairman, said: "I think the Minister
Mentor is a little too pessimistic. I think we'll be up and running at
full speed by 2011. A property like this has to ramp.
"I'm simply a garden variety plain vanilla entrepreneur doing big
buildings and I think the Minister Mentor is right and word has to go
around and people got to know about it. We'll ramp up and do extremely
well, the indications are very positive now."
From Thursday 2pm, the observation deck at the Sky Park will be opened
to the public.
Tickets sold to give the public access to this area on Day One have been
snapped up, a good indication of the highly anticipated grand opening
of one of Singapore's iconic destinations. - CNA/vm