The new unforgettable landmark of Singapore will be the casino

    SINGAPUR - Singapore attracts top international architects, such as Daniel Libeskind, architect of the Freedom Tower at the site of the former New York "Twin Towers," to design an eye-catching new casino building for the city that would rival icons like the Sydney Opera House or the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. This is reported by Reuters.
    The city-state of Singapore, known primarily for its shopping centers and strict urban planning, longs for a breathtaking landmark. This should be two centers designated for gamblers, with planned investments of up to five billion dollars for their construction.
    In various Asian countries, architecturally interesting buildings are not only expressions of economic success but also favorable symbols in the international market, whether it's the Malaysian skyscraper Petronas Towers or the Chinese National Stadium in Beijing, which has the shape of a bird's nest and is to host the Olympic Games in 2008 as one of the sports venues.
    The most prominent building in Singapore to date is the performing arts center on the waterfront, whose "spiky facade" resembles the prickly shell of the tropical durian fruit or the eye of a fly.
    “It's about creating a brand, a logo, a visual shortcut for the city that will evoke excitement,” says local manager Rosalynn Tay.
    In addition to Libeskind and the architect of the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese Bank of China, I.M. Pei, the visionary Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas has also been invited to Singapore, who in 1995 condemned Singapore as a city "devoid of the last traces of authenticity and dignity" after the authorities demolished parts of Chinatown to make way for new residential and office buildings.
    The Singaporean government has also lifted the ban on casinos this year, expecting that the planned two centers will create over 35,000 new jobs and support economic growth. Singapore, home to 4.2 million people, needs development in the service sector due to losses in industrial production that is moving to cheaper countries like China and Malaysia.
    The aforementioned two casinos should significantly contribute to the planned tripling of tourism revenue in Singapore to 30 million dollars by 2015.
    When deciding on the final form of the building, which should also host art halls and museums, the government will be advised by a commission of international and local architecture experts. Authorities aim to make a decision by mid-2006.
    However, the project does not have unconditional support. "I don't want to predict the outcome, but it's bad when we need a casino to change the skyline of the city,” stated architect William Lim.
    “It could end up even as the Eiffel Tower glued together with the Sphinx, at least we can expect some architectural gymnastics,” remarks Singaporean architect Tay Kheng Soon.