Press Release:
International architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) designed the newly opened Mandarin Oriental, Macau, part of the grand scale mixed-use development, One Central, also designed by KPF. The urban resort tower’s tapering form makes it a distinguished addition to the city’s rich urban character.

KPF President Paul Katz said, “We congratulate Shun Tak Holdings Limited and Hongkong Land JV on this exciting opening. This is our third completed hotel for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and a fitting follow-up to Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, as Macau is also a global entertainment capital. The design of the project is inspired by the site’s main asset – its relationship with water. Creating unique room types, the rippled tower wall and folded podium are reminiscent of waves, the ocean, and of luxury yachts.”

At 42 stories, the building is one of the tallest on the city’s skyline, and the centerpiece of the 2.3 million square foot One Central development. The tower’s form is inspired by the water surrounding it, leaning out over the water like the bow of ship cutting through seas. Rippled additions to the tower’s all-glass curtain wall facade evoke the foam of waves as the building cuts gracefully though the water. Blue reflective glass is designed to scatter and reflect light in a kaleidoscopic fashion and again emphasizes the association with water. In the guest rooms, the ripples create bay-window conditions that produce subtle variations in plan and emphasize views and light. At night, the ripples are accentuated by dynamic lighting activated by the frequency and intensity of the China Sea tide, resulting in scrolls of light across the facade like moonlight. In response to the rippled tower facade, a 300 meter-long podium bends and folds evoking images of a ship’s wake, whilst at the same time a sense of luxury and calm is reinforced by a palette of beige stone, dark woods, and metal.

The tower houses 213 guest rooms, 56 luxurious residences and 36 apartments, Vida Rica, a vibrant restaurant and bar, a spa and fitness centre with an infinity pool cantilevered over the arrival courtyard. Connected to the nearby MGM Casino to the east, and to the residential and hotel towers above, a 400,000 square foot retail podium arcade features a lavish selection of the world’s leading luxury brands. These three floors of high-end retail and dining space imaginatively recall the winding streets of continental Europe, to create a uniquely intimate environment for shoppers, that is reminiscent of the scenic hills and seaside towns of Europe. Above the podium, the towers of the One Central Residences complete this vibrant new community in which each brand and activity reinforces the overall image of the development.