The 11-million-square-foot (1-million-square-meter) complex, which replicates the canals and boulevards of Venice, Italy, was designed and completed in just 40 months.
More than 65,000 people visited on opening day in August 2007, and the resort hosted nearly 2 million people in the first month alone. Those guests could enjoy gambling at the casino, watch a sports event, attend a concert, shop in one of 350 stores, dine in one of 30 restaurants, take a gondola ride, swim in a wave pool, or relax in one of the resort’s 3,000 hotel rooms.
WSP's contribution to the project included design, coordination and supervision of all mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems for the complex, including the hotel, convention center, casino, shopping mall, theater and swimming pools. Among the challenges the WSP team overcame was adapting the building’s design - which was originally conceived for a building in the Nevada desert - to the more humid climate of Macao. The project required a cooling capacity of 48,000 refrigeration tons and an electrical supply of 120 mega-volt amps - equivalent to the 20 office buildings of 40 stories each.