Architecture of Macau

Last updated

The architecture of Macau is the architecture that is found in Macau. Macau has diverse architecture from the casinos in its casino region to its tallest building, Grand Lisboa (which stands at 258 metres). Macau is influenced by both Cantonese and Portuguese cultures.

Contents

Background

Macau is a large city located off the south coast of Mainland China, with a population of approximately 630,000 people. [1] and the official native languages being Cantonese and Portuguese. Macau is classified as a special administrative region (SAR), meaning it has separate executive, legislative and judicial systems to China. Macau was previously a Portuguese dependency, which ended in 1999 when it became autonomous. [2] The architecture of Macau encompasses a mixture of World Heritage listed and modern buildings, as well as multiple bridges and tunnels.

Casinos in Macau

Cluster of casinos in Macau. Casinos, Macao, 2013-08-08, DD 01.jpg
Cluster of casinos in Macau.

Within the region of Macau, there is a total of 50 Casinos spread across the cities of Macau, Cotai and Taipa. Being known as the ‘Las Vegas of China’, Macau has a substantial amount of casinos compared to other regions, with 30 in the city of Macau, 14 in Cotai and 6 in Taipa. [3] An example of a famous Casino in Macau is the ‘MGM MACAU’, which stands at 154 metres tall [4] and is located near the southern coast of the northern region of Macau. [5] Other casinos in Macau include the Grand Lisboa Casino & Hotel, Wynn Casino Macau and Sands Macao Hotel, all of which are clustered around each other and near the MGM MACAU. This architectural cluster centralises the casinos near the southern coast of Macau, creating a ‘hub’ for gambling and accommodation.

Tall buildings in Macau

Within the region of Macau, there are 20 completed buildings and 2 under construction that are above 150 metres tall, which ranks Macau as #48 in the world by number of buildings over 150 metres. [6] Macau's first building over 150m was the Bank of China, which is located in the City of Macau and currently stands at 163m (535 feet) tall. [7]

Morpheus Building, Macau. Macau-Morpheus-01.jpg
Morpheus Building, Macau.
Grand Lisboa, Macau. Grand Lisboa, Macau - panoramio.jpg
Grand Lisboa, Macau.

The tallest completed building in Macau is the Grand Lisboa Casino & Hotel, with an architectural height to the tip of 258m (846 feet) and a residential height of 197.7m (649 feet). These statistics rank the height of the building as #332 in the world. The building began construction in 2003 and was completed in 2008. Functioning as a hotel/casino and made from predominately steel, concrete and glass, [8] it was designed by architectural company "Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (HK) Ltd. (DLN)" as their 9th tallest building. [9] The Grand Lisboa has 48 floors above ground and 4 below, with 433 hotel rooms and 338 parking spots.

Macau's most recently constructed tall building, finished in 2018, is the Morpheus building, which is a multi story building that stands at 155.2m (509 feet) tall with 40 floors above ground and 770 hotel rooms. Architecturally, the Morpheus is unconventionally constructed with an exoskeleton design and 3 separate openings that travel through the middle of the building. [10] The building was designed by the late architect Dame Zaha Hadid [11] and was developed by Melco Crown Entertainment Limited. [12]

Within the table below, is a list of the top 20 tallest completed buildings in Macau ranked upon structural height. [12] The amount of floors only includes above ground floors.

Top 20 Tallest Buildings in Macau
RankBuilding NameFloorsHeight (m)Year
1 Grand Lisboa 482582008
2 L'Arc Macau 532172009
3 Encore at Wynn Macau 402062010
4 The Praia Block 1 561852009
5 The Praia Block 2 561852008
6 The Praia Block 3 561852008
7 The Praia Block 4 561852008
8 Mandarin Oriental Macau 421652010
9 Bank of China Building 381631991
10 The Buckingham 501602009
11 Galaxy Macau Phase II 361602015
12 Altira Macau 321602007
13 Lai San Kok 521562008
14 Morpheus 401552018
15 MGM Grand Macau 351542007
16 Studio City 321522015
17 The Venetian Macau 391512007
18 MGM Grand Paradise 361512018
19 Crown Towers 361512009
20 Galaxy StarWorld Hotel 331482006
Macau Tower at night. Macau tower by night.jpg
Macau Tower at night.

Technically the tallest structure in Macau, however not classified under the same category as the tallest buildings in Macau, the Macau Tower (pictured below) is 338m (1102.9 feet) tall to the tip. The tower began construction in 1998 and was opened on 19 December 2001. It was designed by architect, Gordon Moller and was inspired by the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. [13] It currently holds the Guinness World Record for the highest commercial bungy jump point at 233m (764 feet) and the first person to jump was film star Edison Chen (China) in 2006. [14]

West section of the Zhuhai Bridge. West section of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (20180902174105).jpg
West section of the Zhuhai Bridge.

Bridges and tunnels

The Zhuhai Bridge, opened in October 2018, is the world's longest sea bridge, spanning 55 kilometres (34 miles) from Hong Kong to Macau and Mainland Chinese city; Zhuhai. [15] The bridge cost approximately $20 Billion US Dollars to complete and was under construction from December 2009. [16] The bridge is designed to last over 120 years, withstanding pressures from earthquakes and typhoons. [17] Through employing 400,000 tonnes of steel in its construction, with 30 km worth of bridge above the Pearl River Delta and 7 km worth of tunnel running between two artificial islands. [18] The bridge is 3 lanes wide on each side and incorporates merging channels to transfer the traffic from the left to the right as it is technically in Chinese territory. [19] To use the bridge, drivers from Hong Kong will need to attain special permits, of which there are only 300. [20]

Ponte da Amizade. Macao Friendship Bridge.jpg
Ponte da Amizade.
Sai Van Bridge. Ponte de Sai Van.jpg
Sai Van Bridge.

Ponte da Amizade, which is Portuguese for the ‘friendship bridge’, connects the Macau Peninsula to Taipa Island and Pac On. With its construction beginning in June 1990, the bridge took almost 4 years to complete and was officially opened to motor vehicles in March 1994. [21] The bridge spans over 4.7 kilometres (2.9 miles), with a maximum height of 30 metres above the sea and is 18 metres wide at its widest point, accommodating four lanes of traffic. The bridge has two crests at different points to allow for sea traffic to travel beneath. [22] The Sai Van Bridge, completed in December 2004, is also a sea bridge used to connect the Macau Peninsula and Taipa Island. The full length of the bridge is 2.2 km (1.37 miles) long, with its pylon heights standing 85 metres above ground level. [23] The bridge was designed by Pengest Planeamento to accommodate both road traffic and railway carriages and is built primarily from steel, steel cables and prestressed concrete. [24] The total cost of the bridge was US$70 million. [25]

Lotus Bridge. Lotus-bridge-macau.jpg
Lotus Bridge.

The smallest bridge in Macau, linking it across the border to Hengquin Island in Zhuhai, is the Lotus Bridge. The bridge is approximately 900m long and its construction was completed in 1999. [26] It specifically links the Cotai reclamation area of Macau to Hengquin Island with 3 lanes either side of the bridge. The bridge cost US$25 million to construct, which was shared between the Macau and Chinese governments. [26] The Lotus Bridge uses an ‘asymmetric partial cloverleaf’ design, [27] which is designed to re-direct traffic onto the correct side of the road when entering their respective countries, with China being the right and Macau being the left.

Historic architecture

Most of the historic architecture and landmarks within Macau are situated in the Historic Centre of Macau, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [28] As seen within the table below, there are over 20 buildings and landmarks within the Historic Centre, however in terms of historic architecture, there are a bit less than 20. Some of the architecture within the Historic Centre includes the Holy House of Mercy, Mandarin's House and the A-Ma Temple. As the Historic Centre of Macau is host to both buildings and landmarks, below is a list of the historic architecture, in no particular order, with the name and year constructed included. [28]

Historic Architecture in Macau
NameYear
The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral 1640
Na Tcha Temple 1888
Section of the Old City Walls 1569
A-Ma Temple 1488
Mandarin's House Macau 1869
St. Lawrence's Church 1560
Fortaleza do Monte (Mount Fortress) 1617
Holy House of Mercy 1569
St. Joseph's Seminary and Church 1758
St. Augustine's Church 1587
Sir Robert Ho-Tung Library 1894
Dom Pedro V Theatre 1860
Moorish Barracks 1874
Lou Kau Mansion 1889
Leal Senado Building 1784
Guia Fortress 1638

The Holy House of Mercy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, constructed in 1569 and situated within the Historic Centre of Macau, in the Senado Square. [29] The building was designed and constructed by D. Belchior Carneiro, following a neo-classical architectural trend [30] through incorporating 14 arches on the face and stands 2 stories high. It served as a medical clinic for some time, later becoming an orphanage. [31] It is the oldest social solidarity institution in the Macau Special Administrative Region and has undergone multiple renovations, with the most recent in 2003 on the building's Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind. [31]

One of the oldest structures in and officially the oldest temple in Macau, the A-Ma Temple was built in 1488 on the southwest Macau Peninsula. [32] It is made up of six separate architectural components within the entire vicinity, primarily using stone, bricks and granite to build the temple. Pictured below, a notable aspect of the temple is the Gate Pavilion, which measures to be 4.5 metres wide and is made entirely from granite. [33]

The Mandarin's House, built in 1869 and located at No. 10 Travessa de António da Silva, [34] is a traditional Chinese styled compound that once housed Chinese Literary personality Zhen g Guanying. [35] The compound covers approximately 4,000 square metres of land and it encompasses architectural elements of Art Deco as well as traditional Chinese styling with Western influence. [36] In 2001 the Government took over the complex from its private owners and in 2005 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site [37]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macau</span> Special administrative region of China

Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. With a population of about 710,000 people and a land area of 32.9 km2 (12.7 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Macau</span>

Macau is a Special Administrative Region on the southern coast of China. It is located at the south of Guangdong Province, on the tip of the peninsula formed by the Zhujiang estuary on the east and the Xijiang on the west. Macau is situated 60 km (37 mi) west of Hong Kong, and 145 km (90 mi) southwest of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. It is situated immediately east and south of Zhuhai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Macau</span>

Transport in Macau includes road, sea, rail and air transport. Road transport is the primary mode of transport within Macau, although a new rail system opened in December 2019 serving the areas of Taipa and Cotai. The main forms of public transport are buses and taxis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macao Garrison</span> Military unit

The People's Liberation Army Macao Garrison is a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), responsible for defense duties in the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) since the sovereignty of Macau was transferred to China in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge</span> Fixed link consisting of tunnel and multiple bridges

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) is a 55-kilometre (34 mi) bridge–tunnel system consisting of a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel, and four artificial islands. It is both the longest sea crossing and the longest open-sea fixed link in the world. The HZMB spans the Lingding and Jiuzhou channels, connecting Hong Kong and Macau with Zhuhai— a major city on the Pearl River Delta in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taipa</span> Area in Macau, China

Taipa is an area in Macau, connected to Coloane through the area known as Cotai, which is largely built from reclaimed land. Located on the northern half of the island, Taipa's population is mostly suburban. Administratively, the boundaries of the traditional civil parish Freguesia de Nossa Senhora do Carmo are mostly coterminous with that of the former Taipa Island, except for a portion of the parish that lies on the island of Hengqin (Montanha), housing the campus of the University of Macau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macau Peninsula</span> Peninsular part of Macau

The Macau Peninsula is the historical and most populous part of Macau. It has an area of 8.5 square kilometers (3.3 sq mi) and is geographically connected to Guangdong Province at the northeast through an isthmus 200 meters (660 ft) wide. The peninsula, together with downtown Zhuhai, sits on an island separated from the continent by distributaries of the Pearl River. The Border Gate was built on the northern isthmus. At the south, the peninsula is connected to Taipa Island by three bridges, the Friendship Bridge ; the Macau-Taipa Bridge ; and the Sai Van Bridge . The longest axis extends 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) from the Border Gate to the southwestern edge, Barra (媽閣嘴). There is a western "Inner Harbor" (內港) paralleled by an "Outer Harbor" (外港) to the east. The 93 meters (305 ft) Guia Hill (松山) is the highest point on the peninsula, which has an average elevation of 50 to 75 meters. Many coastal places are reclaimed from the sea. The Historic Centre of Macau, which is entirely on the Macau Peninsula, became a World Heritage Site in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Macau</span>

Tourism is a major industry in Macau. It is famous for the blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures and its gambling industry, which includes Casino Lisboa, Macau, Sands Macau, The Venetian Macao, and Wynn Macau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge</span> Bridge in Macau Peninsula and Taipa

The Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, also known as the Macau–Taipa Bridge, is a dual-lane two-way bridge connecting Macau Peninsula near Casino Lisboa and the island of Taipa at the northern slope of Taipa Pequena crossing the former Baía da Praia Grande. It is the first bridge in Macau, to connect the peninsula and Taipa. It is locally known as "The Old Bridge".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotai</span> Zone in Concelho das Ilhas

Cotai is a 5.2-square-kilometer (2.0 sq mi) piece of reclaimed land on the top of the Seac Pai Bay between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau that has connected two independent islands since 2005. The name, which is a portmanteau of Coloane and Taipa, can also refer to the island formed by the reclamation. In the second sense, the Special Administrative Region of Macau now consists of the Macau Peninsula, plus Cotai Island, about a mile to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotai Strip</span> Informal name of an area of Macau, China

The Cotai Strip is a strip, known mostly for its hotel-casinos in the central area of Cotai, Macau. The term was first coined by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation in reference to its construction of a strip.

The Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, SA is a company in Macau owned by the family of Stanley Ho. Historically, it held a monopoly to Macau's gambling industry as the only licensee for casinos. In 2002, the government of Macau began issuing more licenses and the monopoly was broken. Still, of the 41 operating casinos in Macau, 22 are owned by STDM, as of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macau Light Rapid Transit</span> Mass transit system

The Macau Light Rapid Transit is a mass transit system in Macau and the first railway system of the city. The first phase of the project's construction began in February 2012, and the first section of the Taipa line was opened to the public on 10 December 2019. Barra extension of the line and two new branches of Seac Pai Van and Hengqin opened in 2023 and 2024.

Articles related to Macau include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Macau</span> Overview of and topical guide to Macau

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Macau:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skypier</span> Cross-boundary pier in Hong Kong

Skypier Terminal is a cross-border facility that includes a ferry pier and a coach bay integrated within Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is operated by Hong Kong International Airport Ferry Terminal Services Limited, a joint-venture company between Chu Kong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd and Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited. At this building, passengers aboard can transit from Hong Kong International Airport to piers in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province or vice versa, without immigration and customs clearance through Hong Kong. Passengers can also transit to Macao through coaches or vice versa, without immigration and customs clearance through Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Central</span> Mixed-use development in Macau, China

One Central in Sé, Macau is a waterfront mixed-used project developed by Hongkong Land and Shun Tak Holdings and completed in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morpheus (hotel)</span> Skyscraper in City of Dreams resort

Morpheus is a neo-futurist luxury hotel in Macau, Special administrative regions of China that is operated by Melco Resorts & Entertainment. Opened in June 2018, TIME describes it as "the world’s first free-form exoskeleton-bound high-rise: a grid of steel envelops 40 stories of glass with a fluidity inspired by Chinese jade carving." The interior has a gaming floor, a rooftop pool, a modern-art gallery, and restaurants by chefs such as Alain Ducasse. The hotel tops out at 160 meters tall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotai East station</span> Macau Light Rapid Transit station

Cotai East station is a station on Taipa line of the Macau Light Rapid Transit, mainly serving tourists and staff due to its proximity to multiple casino resorts including Wynn Palace, Londoner Macao, and City of Dreams.

References

  1. ↑ "Macau Population 2018 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  2. ↑ Investopedia Staff (6 January 2013). "Special Administrative Region - SAR". Investopedia. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Macau Casino List". www.worldcasinodirectory.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Property Overview | MGM MACAU". www.mgm.mo. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  5. ↑ "MGM Macau". MGM Macau. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "Macau - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  7. ↑ "Bank of China - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "Grand Lisboa - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (HK) Ltd. (DLN) - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "Morpheus hotel opens this June in City of Dreams, Macau". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "Morpheus Luxury | City of Dreams Macau". www.cityofdreamsmacau.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Tallest Buildings in Macau". Emporis. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ↑ "Tower Overview - Macau Tower". Macau Tower. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "Highest commercial bungee jump facility". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "China opens longest sea-crossing bridge". BBC News. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Quiet start for world's longest sea crossing". BBC News. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "A massive bridge is set to transform southern China". CNBC. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) : HZMB Main Bridge". www.hzmb.hk. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "World's longest sea bridge to open after 9 years of construction". ABC News. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  20. ↑ Ward, Alex (22 October 2018). "China's new bridge will connect 70 million people — and give Beijing more power". Vox. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  21. ↑ Botas, João (30 May 2010). "Macau Antigo: Ponte da Amizade: desde 1994". Macau Antigo. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  22. ↑ "Ponte de Amizade Macau-Nanhai Jimu Grating". en.jmgrating.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  23. ↑ "Sai Van Bridge (Macau, 2004) | Structurae". Structurae. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  24. ↑ "Pengest Planeamento, Engenharia e Gestão, Lda | Structurae". Structurae. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "Macau's Sai Van Bridge completed - Bridge Design & Engineering (Bd & e)". 21 December 2004. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  26. 1 2 "New infrastructure enhances Macau, Zhuhai access (hktdc.com)". info.hktdc.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  27. ↑ Jennings, Ken. "What Happens When Left-Hand Roads Meet Right-Hand Roads". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  28. 1 2 "Macau Historic Centre - UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Macau". china-macau.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  29. ↑ "Holy House of Mercy - Secret Macau". Secret Macau. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  30. ↑ Barbosa, Rui (7 February 2018). "The Holy House of Mercy on Senado Square". Macau Lifestyle. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  31. 1 2 "澳門仁慈堂 - Macao Holy House of Mercy - Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Macau - History". www.scmm.mo. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  32. ↑ "A-Ma Temple - Macau Outer Harbour Attractions". china-macau.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  33. ↑ "A-Ma Temple - MACAO WORLD HERITAGE". www.wh.mo (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  34. ↑ "Mandarin's House | Location". www.wh.mo. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  35. ↑ "Mandarin's House - MACAO WORLD HERITAGE". www.wh.mo (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  36. ↑ "Mandarin's House | Introduction". www.wh.mo. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  37. ↑ "Mandarin's House - Secret Macau". Secret Macau. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.