A tower that takes your breath away!

City of Dreams, located in the heart of Cotai in Macao, is a unique integrated entertainment resort that combines entertainment, diverse accommodation, international dining, luxurious shopping, and spacious gaming under one roof. Designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid, 2004 Pritker Prize winner, this revolutionary building is set to become an iconic landmark in the city. Quite a challenge for our subsidiary Dragages Macau which is constructing what is currently one of the most ambitious building projects under way.

The fifth hotel at City of Dreams is a hotel complex located in one of the most sought-after tourist districts of the city. With its 780 rooms, suites and villas, the 40-storey hotel will exceed 5-star standards. Dragages Macau is responsible for the construction shell and core of this building with unusual design.

A project of absolute precision

The tower is emphasised with the use of an exposed exoskeleton structure with three central voids carved through the centre of the building, blending traditional architectural elements of roof, wall and ceiling to create an intriguing sculptural form that defines the exciting internal spaces within.

Extensive temporary works, representing 3,500 tons of steel, are required to support the 126-m high central free-form area. In end March 2016, Dragages Macau achieved its first major milestone by completing the de-propping of the first void of the central free-form area: a delicate operation that consists in removing the temporary supports in a planned and controlled sequence to allow the structure to settle to the permanent geometry. In only 4 days, 90 exoskeleton nodes were meticulously disconnected from temporary steel supports making the exoskeleton structure self-standing in permanent positions. Meticulous planning of construction sequences is key to the smooth construction process and such is a showcase of our preciseness.

Next step for the team: complete the de-propping of the second void, followed by the erection of the 34-m long span and 24-m high mega trusses at the top of the building which will support the last floors over the central free-form area and the swimming pool. The de-propping of the final void is scheduled to be completed by 4th Quarter of 2016.

Security is essential on this construction site and Dragages Macau won six awards in the recent 5th Macao Construction Safety Award Scheme. Our subsidiary has injected innovative solutions into its QSE practices, and is the first in the construction industry to implement this custom-made snagR system in safety inspections. snagR is a pilot scheme that captures both safety and environmental findings through the use of mobile devices. Following the successful implementation of snagR in City of Dreams – Fifth Hotel Tower, Dragages has also extended snagR to other civil projects in Hong Kong.