A Glamorous City Resort for Adults, Enjoyable 24 Hours a Day!

Marina Bay Sands has likely become widely known in Japan thanks to a commercial by a certain telecommunications company. The ad featured members of an idol group walking with mobile phones in hand by a fantastical poolside with a cityscape stretching out below, a scene that perhaps everyone assumed was CGI. However, that pool actually exists on the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands.

Marina Bay spreads out at the mouth of the Singapore River. This large reservoir, surrounded by the familiar Merlion, the giant Ferris wheel, and numerous other landmarks, is a beloved tourist spot where people enjoy the vast sky and the sparkling, cool water surface as an urban oasis. Marina Bay Sands, comprising three 57-story towers soaring 200 meters high along this bay, stands tall. Its guest facilities boast over 2,500 rooms, including suites that have hosted guests like Lady Gaga, all modern, clean, and exuding luxury.

Connecting the three towers is the SkyPark on the rooftop──an aerial garden featuring a dreamlike 150-meter infinity pool, an observation deck, restaurants, and a club lounge. The 360-degree view of Singapore's city center and the bay area from 200 meters above ground is the reality behind the CGI-like nightscape seen in the commercial.

Beyond the SkyPark, it is an integrated resort of unprecedented scale, boasting an expo and convention center exceeding 120,000 square meters, a casino, restaurants, a shopping mall, a museum, a theater, and clubs.──This is the full scope of Marina Bay Sands, which has captured global attention. With a botanical garden currently under construction, this landmark symbolizing the nation's rich growth is poised to become even more vibrant in the future.


This impressive architecture was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. He is a master architect representing Israel, with numerous accolades including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal (1995) and the Governor General's Award for Architecture (2005), and has left behind various large-scale structures worldwide.

The Louis Vuitton Island Maison, which garnered attention as the brand's first floating boutique, was also designed by him. This unique, all-glass boutique spans three spacious floors, offering not only an extensive product lineup but also exhibiting art and selling art-related books selected by the brand on the first floor. It allows visitors to experience the brand's world from every perspective.


In addition to Louis Vuitton, the Marina Bay Sands Shops, a premier shopping mall, features not only high-end fashion brands like Chanel, Prada, and Yves Saint Laurent but also luxury jewelers and watch brands such as Piaget and Chopard. It can be said to cover all the popular luxury brands.

Beyond the extensive shopping facilities, the authentic Las Vegas-style casino is also a major draw. This massive, four-story facility spanning 15,000 square meters offers over 600 table games, slot machines, and electronic table games, totaling 13 types of games and 2,500 machines. Once you step into the vibrant atmosphere, you might lose track of time engrossed in gaming, but Marina Bay Sands has many other noteworthy spots to explore. Particularly, the glamorous restaurants and bars that create a dazzling nightlife are a must-see.

Exquisite Cuisine, Drinks, and a Panoramic Night View – The Ultimate Adult Night Out!

After enjoying shopping and the authentic Las Vegas-style casino, head to restaurants helmed by renowned chefs. Marina Bay Sands boasts six luxurious restaurants, including the authentic French restaurant "Guy Savoy" by a Michelin three-star chef, and the teppanyaki Japanese restaurant "Waku Ghin," which offers private dining for a maximum of 8 groups per day.

Waku Ghin, in particular, attracts customers from abroad solely for the experience of dining here. Its system is highly unique. The limited operation of 8 groups per day reflects a commitment to providing the utmost hospitality to each guest. The restaurant features four private rooms, each with a long teppan grill and counter at its center, where the chef prepares dishes right before the guests' eyes – this is the Waku Ghin style.

The menu consists solely of a course featuring the freshest seafood of the day. Because the chef cooks right in front of the guests while engaging in conversation, detailed requests can be accommodated on the spot, allowing for a more personalized experience. Furthermore, Waku Ghin boasts an exceptionally rich lineup of wines and sake, including varieties rarely found even in Japan. A bar staffed by a Japanese bartender, a winner of international bartending competitions, is also attached. It is the perfect place for adults seeking a leisurely dinner to savor both food and drinks at their own pace.

After indulging in dinner, it's time for a night out. Like the Louis Vuitton boutique, the world-renowned club "Avalon," which originated in Hollywood, floats on the water. The vibrant parties held nightly in the middle of the sea offer an unparalleled sense of freedom! With a spacious dance floor, perhaps dancing until dawn is part of the resort's allure?

Similarly, the club lounge "CÉ LA VI" located in the SkyPark, floating 200 meters above ground, offers a superb sense of openness. Enjoy drinks amidst pleasant music while gazing at the cityscape below, with the illuminated night pool beside you──– a luxurious space that perfectly orchestrates a glamorous night for adults, making it understandable why The New York Times named it one of the world's top 10 hotspots.

The Eve of the Birth of a Unique Culture, Powerfully Blending All Forms of Culture

Marina Bay Sands, with its array of entertainment facilities, luxurious spa, and gym, offers enough to keep you occupied without ever needing to leave. However, intellectually curious adults seek to experience the real Singapore. After exploring the massive hotel, let's venture into the city to immerse ourselves in Singapore's culture.

The city's landscape is striking. Amidst the modern skyscrapers, large trees spread their lush branches, and colorful flowers add vibrancy. A short walk amidst the verdant scent after a rain shower leads you to unique neighborhoods steeped in distinct cultures, such as Little India, Chinatown, and Arab Street. The dynamic vitality of nature, seemingly poised to engulf the buildings, and the sudden appearance of the Islamic Sultan Mosque in the city center──– the contrast with the modern skyscrapers is overwhelming.

Lowering your gaze from the skyscrapers reveals numerous historical buildings with a European flair. The Raffles Hotel Singapore, a historic hotel famously known as the setting for Ryu Murakami's novel "Raffles Hotel," exudes a certain dignity that can make visitors feel slightly awestruck.

Raffles Hotel, beloved by many literary figures including Ryu Murakami, British writers Somerset Maugham and Joseph Conrad, is world-renowned. A visit to its bar to order a "Singapore Sling" is a must. This cocktail, originating in Singapore, is said to have been first created by a bartender at Raffles Hotel and is now a staple found in bars across the country. Enjoy comparing the flavors at different bars, using Raffles Hotel's version as a benchmark.

Alongside these preserved historical structures, many buildings have been stylishly renovated and transformed into select shops, cafes, and art spaces. Among these, the Dempsey Hill area, located a short distance from the city center and surrounded by greenery, is a notable spot where art spaces, cafes, bars, restaurants, and interior design shops occupy renovated buildings. Here, you can enjoy a rich experience that stimulates intellectual curiosity, with a leisurely pace of time distinct from the bustling city center.

Singapore: A Hub Connecting Asian and European Art Scenes

This young nation, with a history of just over 50 years, is actively promoting cultural initiatives nationwide with the aim of fostering its own unique culture. The burgeoning art scene is particularly noteworthy. Several leading Japanese galleries are also set to expand into Singapore this year. Mizuma Art Gallery in Shinjuku, Tokyo, which handles works by renowned domestic and international artists including contemporary artist Makoto Aida, is one of them. It is scheduled to grand open in September in a gallery village at Gillman Barracks, planned by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

"In Singapore, where per capita income is the highest in Asia, high-income individuals actively purchase artworks, contributing to artist development. This is not only due to low taxes but also to various tax reduction schemes. For example, there is a tax deduction system for donations where collectors can deduct 2.5 times the value of art purchased for charity from their annual income," points out Sueo Mizuma, the Executive Director, explaining the reasons behind the growth of Singapore's art market, in addition to its remarkable economic development. He believes the well-established tax system strongly supports the art market.


Given its rapid economic growth, it is certainly a market with potential. However, Mr. Mizuma continues, the global attention is not solely due to this. "With the presence of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), which organizes international art fairs and engaging exhibitions, and various attractive programs that draw art fans worldwide, including awards for contemporary Asian artists, Singapore is now the center of the Southeast Asian art market."──This is why Mizuma Art Gallery decided to expand into Singapore. "In the future, we want to focus on artists from Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines," Mr. Mizuma stated.


As Mr. Mizuma mentioned, Singapore has hosted various art events of different scales in recent years. Notable examples include "Singapore Biennale" and "Art Stage Singapore." "Art Stage Singapore" is an art fair where over 100 galleries from around the world exhibit, including prominent Japanese galleries like Tomio Koyama Gallery and Wada Fine Arts. At the "Singapore Biennale," which celebrated its third edition under the direction of Singaporean artist/curator Matthew Ngui, works by 63 artists from 30 countries, including Japan, were exhibited at venues such as the Singapore Art Museum, the National Museum of Singapore, and the former Kallang Airport.

From Appreciating Art to Experiencing Art

Marina Bay Sands actively participates in notable art events like "Art Stage Singapore" and "Singapore Biennale." It serves as a main exhibition venue and sometimes becomes a work of art itself through installations that leverage its impressive architecture, thus participating in the events.

The ArtScience Museum, designed by Moshe Safdie, similar to the hotel towers and Louis Vuitton's floating boutique──– with its striking, innovative design inspired by the lotus flower, Singapore's national flower, is worth seeing. The gallery, filled with natural light, offers permanent exhibitions as well as special exhibitions. It attracts visitors from both within and outside Singapore as a premier gallery.


The current exhibition, "Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes of Fame," is a traveling exhibition that began in Singapore and will also be shown in China, South Korea, and Japan in 2014. It features 260 works from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, including famous pieces like "Campbell's Soup" (1961) and "Marilyn Monroe" (1967).

The exhibition is chronologically divided into "Early Years," "The Factory," "Exposure," and "Last Supper," showcasing works from the 1940s when he was an unknown illustrator before the pop art era, through his later years in the 1980s. It begins with his childhood drawings and early illustrations as a commercial artist, progresses through his well-known silk-screen masterpieces, films, portraits of celebrities taken with a Polaroid camera, and concludes with self-portraits from his final years.



What's interesting is the exhibition method. Alongside the works presented in 10-year segments, quotes from him from that period, photographs, videos, and related documents are displayed. This approach aims to deepen understanding of the works by not only providing descriptions but also inviting contemplation of his inner thoughts during the creation process. "Be a star for 15 minutes"──– this was his catchphrase during the era when he was adored as a star of his time, and people flocked to him. The works possessing eternal brilliance, created within the brief span of 15 minutes, and the story lurking behind the glorious path of a boy full of complexes born in an age of mass production and consumption, strangely resonate, drawing the viewer into his mind.

© 2012 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and Marina Bay Sands

The dynamism of this nation, which continues to develop at a breakneck pace while blending diverse cultures, cannot be fully conveyed through mere observation. Only by seeing, touching, and being moved can one truly feel the surging power of this country. We hope you will experience the vibrant energy that emanates from this nation precisely because it is in a phase of rapid growth.