The $8 Billion Expansion of Singapore’s Most Iconic Landmark

Even if you’ve never been to Singapore, it’s likely that you’re familiar with Marina Bay Sands; three towering skyscrapers connected with a paddle-boat-like sky-bridge, a recognizable part of the Singaporean skyline.

Hence when plans for a fourth tower emerged, the resort’s original architect was invited to design it. But the directive from the Singaporean government was clear: don’t mess with a national landmark.

Despite that, the resort is still planned to undergo an $8 billion expansion project, and the fourth tower is planned to be built on a separate plot of land. Today, we’re looking at how Marina Bay Sands (MBS) became a national symbol of Singapore, and more broadly, how architecture can reflect a country’s corporate identity.

About Marina Bay Sands (Design & History)

The concept of this resort was initially conceived in the mid-2000s, when the government of Singapore wanted to create the narrative that the city was a business and global leisure hub, not just a stopover point or trading post. The project, called an Integrated Resort (IR), was planned to not only include a hotel and casino, but a full business and entertainment complex. Las Vegas Sands Corp. won the bid in 2006, and architect Moshe Safdie was invited to create a ‘world-class design’.

Safdie envisioned a symbolic urban gateway from the sea to Singapore’s downtown area and which gestured global connectivity. The final design drew inspiration from a ‘house of cards’ - three 57-story skyscrapers standing roughly 190 meters high, with the SkyPark observation deck and 151-meter-long Infinity Pool sitting atop.

Before MBS dominated Singapore’s skyline, it was quite bland and unremarkable, mainly consisting of uninteresting office buildings. However, this new architectural design redefined the city-state’s visual identity, becoming one of the most photographed structures in the world. And it’s precisely because MBS is a widely recognized unmistakable national symbol, that Singapore’s government doesn’t want it tampered with.

How Architecture Reflects Corporate Identity

A country’s corporate identity (also known as national branding) is a strategic approach by the state to shape its image and reputation, in order to influence perceptions both internationally and domestically. The process of establishing that corporate identity involves many different aspects, but mainly, it’s about crafting a unique story. And architecture can have a huge influence on that.

MBS is an excellent example of an architectural structure that contributed greatly to a country’s corporate identity. Embodying ambition, luxury, and forward-thinking urban development, MBS elevated Singapore from a functional hub to a luxury visit-worthy destination while simultaneously boosting the country’s MICE economy (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) by providing a one-stop venue for both corporate and leisure travel.

However, MBS isn’t exclusive in its success of conveying national branding. For instance, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, was initially built for the 1889 Paris Exposition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It showcased French industrial and engineering prowess, symbolized the French’s national pride, and served as a metaphorical entry point to the exposition. There are countless other examples as well, such as the Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), CCTV Headquarters (Beijing, China), the Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), etc.

But I should point out that corporate identity is not always representative of a country’s ‘national condition’, or the actual economic circumstance, state of society, and citizen livelihoods. A country’s corporate identity is almost always a ‘beautified’ version, about concepts such as innovation, technological superiority and modernization, etc; a self-portrait selectively painted to be shown on the world stage. Although not necessarily a bad thing, we should be at least aware that what we’re seeing may not be the full picture.

Conclusion

So what do you think about the MBS expansion project? Will you want to visit?

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