Global interior design leader HBA is nearing completion of a “truly outstanding global project” at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, working in collaboration with internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie.
HBA was commissioned to design the 2,561 rooms and suites over 55 storeys in three towers – as well as one million sq ft of MICE facilities for conventions, expos and world-class events.
The firm worked in close collaboration with architect Moshe Safdie. HBA Principal ILija Karlusic said: “Working alongside a superstar in the design world like Mr. Safdie once again confirms our ability to work on truly outstanding global projects.”
“I was, and still am very inspired by Safdie’s work, and feel privileged to work alongside him on one of the most iconic buildings in the world. I was keen to integrate the interior into his amazing design ideas for the building, and read up on his projects around the world to get a feeling for his type of approach and how best to work to compliment it” said Karlusic.
HBA won the contract after impressing developers Las Vegas Sands Corp with outstanding interior design work on the Four Seasons Macau. However, Marina Bay Sands required a “very different approach due to the sheer scale of the project” noted Karlusic, as it required 10 times more resources than other regular projects.
The team spent over 14 months on the concept stage, working in large workshops consisting of 30-40 design professionals at any one time.
“It was a once in a lifetime project in terms of scale, the amount of resources and size of team working on the project in different parts of the world,” said HBA Principal Alicia Loo.
Construction progress was constantly monitored via webcam to ensure every stage of the project was a truly integrated process.
The iconic, architecture, required unusually close collaboration with the architects.
“We built an intimate working relationship with Safdie and his team to fulfill the entire vision of a truly integrated resort. Collaboration meant travelling frequently during the conceptualisation stage to his main office in Boston.”
This sort of very close working relationship with architects is not normally experienced by interior designers; however the teams worked very well together, kept in constant contact, discussing everything from design, even down to materials, carpet patterns and textures.
The architects had a very strong vision and the interiors were designed to compliment it at every stage. There were 100 different room types to work on due to the complex architectural structure, so the team worked with very different spaces. The designers worked hard to combine all the Asian cultural influences into the project, especially in keeping with such strong architectural aspect.
“The project has been uplifting, iconic and intriguing. It’s a huge symbol for Singapore and we are extremely proud to be part of it” commented Loo.
