In 2011, MGM set out with a vision to develop an integrated resort in Cotai that would support the development of Macau as an international tourism destination. The initial plan for MGM COTAI was to build an architecturally compelling pair of towers inspired by the local culture. Beginning with the recognizable three-tiered form of the MGM MACAU tower, the stacked boxes of each tower have been shuffled and cantilevered to create a single modern sculptural form. Through the creative use of immaculate Chinese decorative imagery for the façade expression, the abstract composition effortlessly brings to life a grand and vibrant representation of Chinese jewelry boxes, MGM’s recognizable gold tones and extraordinary architecture in Macau.
     A team of more than 350 architects, designers and consultants came together to create an integrated resort like no other in the world, MGM COTAI is expected to open in the second quarter of 2017.
     Mr Jim Murren, Chairperson and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited says, “MGM COTAI is already emerging as an architectural icon and the talented designers who have helped us create it are making a great contribution to Macau. Our Company is synonymous with entertainment and the resort’s diverse offerings and design elements, like treasured jewels in a jewelry box, complement each other yet follow a central concept of class, quality, and excitement, creating extraordinary experiences for our guests.”
     Mr Ken Rosevear, President of MGM Resorts Development LLC and Non-Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, adds, "Desiring a unique and iconic design for MGM COTAI, we initiated a competition between internationally recognized architectural firms with experience in designing extraordinary resort projects. KPF was appointed when they proposed a design that not only resonated with our existing MGM property, but took it to a new level of excitement and visual excellence thereby maintaining the tradition of unique iconic structures that MGM is known for.”
     “From the outset, we wanted to design a structure that would really stand out on the skyline,” says Mr John Bushell, Design Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the New York and London based Design Architect firm appointed for this project and recognized for the excellence and innovation of its buildings around the world, including award-winning Shanghai World Financial Center and Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre. “We wanted to build something of the highest architectural quality that is also a place for people to have fun! By utilizing a composition of similar elements and openings in-between the building, we created a mountain landscape-like structure that allows a variety of interpretations. The outside is striking both in daylight and at night, with lots of dramatic spatial experiences within. The two different hotels and an exclusive Mansion all form part of a single distinctive unified composition.”
     MGM COTAI offers exceptional architectural experience at night. On the exterior, a subtle, and unique light design shines with gold, bronze and silver undertones which the brand is known for in its architecture in Macau. To achieve this effect, MGM developed an integrated lighting system across all four elevation of the towers where roughly 60,000 LED fixtures have been placed to wash the surface of the projecting feature fins, creating a beautiful glimmer.
    

MGM COTAI’s epicenter of entertainment lies in the dynamic world of the Spectacle, an innovative, multi-dimensional sensory experience designed to thrill and excite visitors as they shop and stroll in the heart of the complex, which connects MGM COTAI’s main lobby directly to shops and restaurants.
     Towering above the extraordinary Spectacle experience is a meticulously engineered column-free long-span diagrid structure as long as a soccer field, where the form of the roof has peaks and valleys that allow it to support its own weight.
     Building the Spectacle roof was a feat of its own, where a forest of temporary columns, like trees, were first rooted to install digitally-engineered custom nodes which were then interconnected with angular steel to complete the framework. The columns were then removed, revealing a ceiling structure that forms a subtle wave in the sky. The Spectacle was designed to extend over the nearby restaurants and retail outlets, demonstrating the attentiveness of design experts to deliver an immersive and diverse experience that emanates effortless continuity.