zaha hadid architects takes notes from hollywood to expand 'studio city' in macau, china

a hollywood-inspired resort in china

zaha hadid architects (ZHA) announces the topping out of its studio city resort expansion in macau, china. the internationally renowned architects had been invited to expand the hollywood-inspired development in 2017, which had been welcoming visitors since 2015. upon the completion of the so-called ‘studio city phase 2,’ the sprawling entertainment destination will see new leisure, entertainment, and hospitality facilities. these will include one of asia’s largest indoor and outdoor water parks together with a six-screen cinema complex.

zaha hadid architects expects its phase two expansion of studio city to complete in december 2022.

visualization by mir | @mir.no

towers of vertical glass fins

the team at zaha hadid architects worked with melco resorts & entertainment to develop the studio city ‘phase 2’ expansion. the new addition will comprise two new towers, with a facade of gradating glass, whose verticality recalls natural columns of basalt rock. these vertical insulated glazing units and shading fins will reduce solar heat gain and glare while maintaining thermal comfort for hotel guests.

the high-performance building envelope together with highly efficient services and systems will reduce energy demand. all timber and timber-based products specified within the design have been harvested, traded and sourced in accordance with forestry stewardship council certification.

visualization by minmud | @minmud

studio city’s respect for the environment

environmental site assessments determined the composition of zaha hadid architects’ studio city development. the project is strategically situated away from the 15-hectare protected wetland of the macau cotai ecological zone nearby. the orientation and configuration of the elliptical towers have been meticulously engineered to ensure natural ventilation within and around the resort. the project’s ecologist developed preservation measures for the site’s existing flora together with compensatory planting of species compatible with the landscape and habitat.

viviana muscettola, director at zaha hadid architects, comments: ‘zaha hadid architects and melco share the same vision and determination to push boundaries. studio city phase 2 continues our ten year collaboration with melco that includes the morpheus hotel at the city of dreams in macau. extending the thriving studio city resort, the highly adaptable spaces of phase 2 have been developed by a truly global team of professionals.’

visualization by mir | @mir.no

mr. lawrence ho, chairman and CEO of melco resorts & entertainment, continues: ‘melco has a strong track record of contributing to macau’s ongoing development as a world center of leisure tourism. studio city phase 2 reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the city and contributes to reinforcing macau’s non-gaming proposition in asia and internationally. we are grateful for the support of the central and macau governments during the project construction.’

project info:

project title: studio city

architecture: zaha hadid architects (ZHA)

location: macau, china

developer: melco resorts & entertainment

visualizations: mir |@mir.no, minmud | @minmud

design: patrik schumacher
ZHA project director: viviana muscettola
ZHA project associates: hee seung lee, luca nicoletti, subharthi guha, bianca cheung
ZHA project architects: alvin triestanto, andrea balducci caste, marina martinez, thomas sonder
ZHA project team: alessandra catello, ashwanth govindaraji, amittai antoine, angelica videla, christina bali, daniel coley, juwhan han, michael cheung, marie-perrine placais, michael rogers, mattia santi, nhan vo, natasha gill, neil rigden, sara criscenti, valentina cerrone, vincent yeung, yoo yeon noh
ZHA concept team: viviana muscettola, hee seung lee, luca nicoletti, alvin triestanto, alessandra catello, daniel coley, marina martinez, mattia santi, vincent yeung, yoo yeon noh

consultants:
executive architect: leigh & orange [hong kong]
local architect: EWA project consultants [macau]
civil, structural & geotechnical engineering: AECOM [hong kong]
M&E engineering: meinhardt (M&E) [hong kong]
façade engineer: inhabit living engineering [hong kong]
water park consultant: water technology [UK/US/hong kong], white water west [canada]
other interior designers: rockwell group, CDC designs, westar architects, OMA
quantity surveyor: WT partnership [hong kong]
lighting design: inhabit lighting [hong kong]
landscape designer: morphis [hong kong]
fire engineering: meinhardt (M&E) [hong kong]
acoustic consultant: SM&W [hong kong]
traffic engineer: systra MVA [hong kong]
environmental consultant: XCO2 [uk]
signage consultant: DEAI design [hong kong]