Singapore: Marina Bay Sands

Hmm, well after the excitement of Artangel's little boat on the roof of London's Southbank Centre (see Boat with a View, Feb 2012) I find this in Singapore.

View from Raffles Place, some distance away

Turns out it's the (relatively new) Marina Bay Sands complex: unfeasibly large and flash hotel, bars, clubs; unfeasibly large, flash mall with unfesaibly large and flash brands. (Even a Louis Vuitton island!) There's also a casino and art/science museum.

Actually I had a lurk around it with a friend last night, and it was all a very pleasant ambling experience. But one has to ask: in a small country simply encrusted with huge, flash hotels, malls and brands - does this even bigger, flashier and brandier one make money? I know there's a lot of wealth in Asia, but surely it is finite? There's a Prada, Gucci etc at almost every glittering mall (of around one million!) on Orchard Road alone. Can the market for spending here really be that endless?!

My guess is, of course, that the MBS geezers (they of the Las Vegas Sands outfit) did their homework quite thoroughly before building. But it's all a bit staggering to me!

The ArtScience museum - designed by Moshe Safdie. Shaped like a lotus, rainwater is collected in the centre, flows down the levels as a waterfall, then is used/recycled for the restrooms.