NZ firm helps create pool in the sky

A New Zealand-headquartered consultancy and a Kiwi played a part in the eye-catching feature at the top of Singapore's newest skyscraper. Photo / Supplied

A New Zealand-headquartered consultancy and a Kiwi played a part in the eye-catching feature at the top of Singapore's newest skyscraper.

Singaporean-based Tony McKee of Beca, the Auckland-headquartered business, was project manager for the Sands SkyPark terrace and said the development's most striking feature posed unique construction challenges.

"We have a 7000-tonne steel structure that runs 340m across the top of three independent 55-storey towers populated by the world's longest elevated swimming pool and landscaped gardens with around 600 trees," McKee said.

The initial challenge was getting the right balance to maintain the architectural design intent and create a structure that was buildable within the timeframe, he said.

The building is owned by Las Vegas-based Sands and Beca described its construction as one of the most challenging projects it had worked on and "certainly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort property".

The three hotel towers are connected by a 1 hectare sky terrace and the convention centre below can host up to 45,000 people.

Beca is one of the largest employee-owned engineering and consultancy groups in the Asia Pacific region, established in 1918 in New Zealand with three employees and it remains headquartered here.

"Beca has a substantial Asia Pacific footprint with over 2400 employees in 18 offices across the world," the firm said.