Diego Delso
Apple Marina Bay Sands
- Design firm
- Foster + Partners
- Typology
- Commercial
- Years
- 2018–2020
- Status
- Complete
Facade facts
- Facade summary
- A 30-meter-diameter self-supporting glass-and-steel dome floating on Marina Bay, made of 114 curved glass panes and 10 vertical steel mullions, integrated with concentric interior shading rings and a top oculus.
- Documented intention
- Foster + Partners intended to create a transparent, floating lantern that dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, using minimal structural expression to celebrate the pure geometry of the sphere.
- Street relationship
- The facade interacts directly with the public harbor promenade, accessible via an underwater tunnel from the neighboring mall or a floating boardwalk.
- Climate relationship
- To withstand Singapore's intense tropical sun, the facade features glass with a low-emissivity coating, paired with interior sunshade baffles. These baffles are angled to block high-angle solar rays while preserving low-angle horizontal outward views.
- Window pattern
- Spherical grid of curved, horizontally banded panels tapering towards the top.
- Glazing
- Double-glazed, laminated glass with integrated high-performance low-E coatings.
- Depth
- The facade assembly is deep, created by the spatial gap between the outer structural glass envelope and the inner cantilevered shading rings.
- Rhythm
- Horizontal rings concentric to the dome's pole, intersected by 10 radial steel mullions spaced at equal intervals.
- Curved Glass
- Curved Glass — Entire dome envelope — Smooth,reflective,laminated double-glazing
- Steel
- Steel — Vertical mullions and structural rings — Smooth painted matte
- Fabric
- Fabric — Interior shading baffles — Acoustic fabric surface
- Structural Glass Dome
- Self-supporting glass-and-steel hybrid grid shell using 114 horizontal curved panes secured with structural silicone and mechanically tied to 10 slender vertical steel ribs.
- Integrated Concentric Shading Baffles
- Interior ring system suspended from the structural frame, designed to provide solar control and acoustic attenuation.
Tags
- 2011–2020
- 21st Century
- Acoustic Fabric
- Af - Tropical Rainforest Climate
- Commercial
- Curved Glass
- Double Glazing
- Double-glazed
- Downtown Core
- Exhibition
- Fabric
- Flagship retail store
- Foster + Partners
- Glass Grid Shell
- High-Tech
- Laminated Double Glazing
- Laminated Glass
- Norman Foster
- Oculus
- Precision Cold-Bending
- Retail
- Singapore
- Spherical grid of curved
- Structural Glass Dome
- Structural Silicone Glazing
- Structural Steel
- The facade assembly is deep
- To withstand Singapore's intense tropical sun
- Waterfront
- and public gathering space.
- reflective
- steel
Description
The envelope is a spherical structural glass dome measuring 30 meters in diameter. It is constructed from 114 custom-curved glass panels arranged in horizontal rings. The structural system relies on just 10 narrow vertical steel mullions to stabilize the glass dome. Inside, the facade is lined with 11 concentric baffle rings made of fabric-covered panels that step inward as they rise. At the apex, a clear glass oculus acts as the dome's crown. High-performance coatings on the double-glazed, laminated units prevent solar heat gain while maintaining highly clear views.
Visual analysis
During the day, the dome's glass reflects the Singapore skyline and the surrounding water, behaving as a solid-like, shimmering sculptural object. At night, internal illumination transforms the building into a glowing, translucent lantern.
Gallery
Sources
- Apple Marina Bay Sands - Foster + Partners · Foster + Partners
- Apple Marina Bay Sands opens Thursday in Singapore · Apple Inc.