ANALYSIS INTEGRATED RESORTS
The striking architecture for Marina Bay Sands has changed Singapore’s skyline; (right) inside the building
n 2000, I was part of a group asked by the authorities of Singapore to analyse the leisure island of Sentosa and propose strategies for its future. The group comprised government offi cials, international fi gures in the leisure industry and
major entrepreneurs from Singapore. I was only involved in this initial stage and the atmosphere was remarkably open-minded. We were asked to express our profes- sional experience and imagination freely. This conclave allowed a true audit of the failures of several private attractions, and paved the way for a new vision of the island. The result was a complete re-engi- neering strategy for Sentosa Island. No subject was taboo, except one – a
casino for Sentosa. The minister of indus- try and commerce gently pointed out that this wasn’t possible by the laws of Singapore. Also, the republic had devel- oped an image that completely contrasted the reputation that a casino can have. But, Sentosa is a leisure island separated from mainland Singapore by a bridge with restricted access. So could it be consid- ered differently to the city state and treated like a ship with slightly different rules? Ten years later, Singapore has opened
two huge resort complexes of international standards, each built around a casino. Resorts World Sentosa opened in January
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Two integrated resorts recently opened in Singapore with the aim of transforming the country’s image from that of a business centre or retail destination to a fun place to stay. Imaginvest’s Emmanuel Mongon analyses the resorts’ offers
2010 and Marina Bay Sands opened in June 2010. Both are increasing their offer by adding more attractions regularly. My work as masterplanner has often led me to think outside the box, while also capturing the essence and cultural values of the underlying assets. But I must admit that it’s rare to see a whole country change radically and implement a new direction. For those who knew Singapore before, it’s remarkable in many aspects. The re-engi- neering of Sentosa is actually a major (but not single) project to develop a new pillar in the economy and culture of Singapore.
CREATIVITY Singapore has reached the level of a devel- oped economy, with leading industries such as fi nance, shipping or electronics. For many years, the tourism economy was mostly built around shopping and hotels. High quality leisure facilities were then developed, including a zoo, bird park and night safari. But it’s only recently that the government of Singapore decided to foster a specifi c side of culture, which wasn’t a
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priority in their original planning – creativ- ity. To our industry, for which creativity is a source to attract visitors, it’s fascinating to see a whole population being encouraged to explore their imagination. In this instance, the two new resorts
of Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa are milestones in Singapore's entertainment history. I believe they represent much more than a new set of individual attractions to increase tourism to the city state. They want to epitomise a new way to enjoy Singapore. People who consider a visit to Singapore a little bor- ing compared to the charm of some other Asian destinations, need to be reminded that Singapore is fun and not just a busi- ness district or a retail destination. It will be interesting to see what the real
impact of this new strategy for Singapore will be over the next few years. The change has already had an effect on our indus- try with many vendors and professionals being involved with projects in Singapore over the past few years, but will it attract the expected number of foreign visitors?
AM 2 2011 ©cybertrek 2011
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