Some S’poreans joke that new tower at MBS looks like a dehumidifier or ‘like a 4th person lurking’

SINGAPORE: One of Singapore’s iconic views is about to change, with the groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth tower at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) held on Tuesday (July 15).

The S$10.3 billion project is being touted as an “ultra-luxurious resort and entertainment destination”. Patrick Dumont, the president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands, was quoted as saying that the brand-new development will have “amenities that we don’t have today to offer tourists coming into Singapore”.

Channel NewsAsia (CNA) shared an image from Safdie Architects of an artist’s impression of what to expect when the fourth tower at MBS is up.

Meanwhile, CNA quoted architect Moshe Safdie as saying, “The (Urban Redevelopment) Authority repeatedly said, ‘This is our icon; our people of Singapore love this, and we cannot do anything that’s going to compromise it.”

Over on Reddit, however, locals had some fun at the new project’s expense.

“Does anyone else think a fourth MBS tower looks totally out of place? It kind of ruins the iconic symmetry of the original three MBS towers, said u/Jerainerc in a post on r/Singapore.

Some joked that the new tower looked like a household appliance.

“Finally, it’s about time we get a huge dehumidifier to counter the weather,” wrote one.

“All we need now is a giant air purifier for every November when Indonesia does their slash and burn,” chimed in another, although another joked that the Singapore flyer already serves this purpose.

And when one wrote that the “electricity cost for a 200m dehumidifier is gonna bankrupt the country,” another retorted “But the air feels cooler so we will be happier.”

“Is it called the Dyson Tower,” a commenter added cheekily.

On a more serious note, a Reddit user observed, “We will get used to it. It’s like when they first showed us the design of the Esplanade, the three MBS towers, and the Supreme Court building. Suddenly, everyone become architect kpkb say it’ll destroy the skyline, etc.”

One opined, however, that while “The building itself is fine, clearly inspired or by the same architect as MBS (doing a remix),” nevertheless, “it just feels out of place from this angle, like a fourth person lurking.”

“I think the difference is that MBS has already become a global icon, and disrupting that in any way risks damaging that brand,” another chimed in.

A commenter sounded a reassuring note, saying, “It’s far enough away that it doesn’t come near the silhouette of the three linked MBS towers. You will still be able to easily take photos of it without the fourth tower.” /TISG

Read also: Marina Bay Sands hits record S$2.7B in earnings after targeting luxury travellers post-pandemic