Singapore Woos Star Architects

As reported by Reuters: "Singapore is wooing top architects such as I.M. Pei and Daniel Libeskind to design an iconic casino building on a par with Sydney's Opera House and Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum.

"The city-state, better known for its shopping malls and rigorous urban planning, now wants a breathtaking skyline. It has invited gaming companies to team up with leading architects, or 'starchitects,' when they submit proposals for two casino resorts that are expected to cost up to US$5 billion.

"Across Asia, eye-catching designer buildings are as much a statement of economic achievement as about creating internationally recognizable marketing symbols, from Kuala Lumpur's soaring Petronas Towers to Beijing's National Stadium, shaped like a bird's nest and planned for the 2008 Olympics.

"…I.M. Pei, who designed Hong Kong's Bank of China building, and Daniel Libeskind, designer of the 'Freedom Tower' at New York's Ground Zero, have teamed up with gaming companies that may bid for a casino in Singapore's downtown waterfront, the first of two such projects in the country.

"…A distinctive landmark could eventually bring tangible economic benefits by generating tourism, said Leo Burnett's Tay…"