As she is often wont to do, world-dominating architect Zaha Hadid has invented a new shape and clad it in a kind zigzag frame reminiscent of a bike helmet, this time for an upscale entertainment hub in Macau known as the "City of Dreams." The luxury hotel is the second Hadid has been tapped to wholly design, after the similarly hollowed out ME by Meliá' Hotel in Dubai. Envisioned as a single "sculptural element" wrapped in an exoskeletal mesh, the 40-story structure will house 780 guest rooms in a pair of towers connected at the top and bottom, as well as by two aorta-like bridges running through its central void.
In a press release, Hadid's firm opines that "the tower's exposed exoskeleton reinforces the dynamism of the design. Expressive and powerful, this external structure optimizes the interior layouts and envelops the building, further defining its formal composition and establishing relationships with the new Cotai strip." Hadid's structure will join a host of hotel-casinos on a Vegas-like strip owned and developed by Melco Crown Entertainment, and could outdo even Frank Gehry's hotel in Balboa, Spain in the (unofficial but fierce) competition for wackiest-looking starchitect-designed hospitality offering.
Following the development of a glowing horseshoe-shaped resort and a donut-shaped stock exchange, the hotel Hadid Macau should cement the arched, void-encompassing skyscraper as another odd trend in China's architectural pursuits. With a projected completion date of early 2017, the hotel will include a gaming area, retail strip, an expansive atrium, a host of specialty restaurants, a "super lounge," top floor villas, and a "sky pool."
· Zaha Hadid Designs "City of Dreams" Hotel Tower in Macau [Curbed National]
· All Zaha Hadid coverage [Curbed National]
· Get to Know the Greats in these Starchitect-Designed Hotels [Curbed National]
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