Engineering design for The Londoner Macao

Jun 17, 2023

At a glance

The Londoner Macao, renovated and expanded from Sands Cotai Central, is a new destination integrated resort that features extensive symbolic designs and decors of London and its landmarks on both the exterior and interior.

These include replicas of the façade of the Houses of Parliament and a newly-built 96m high Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) to the exterior. Internally there are celebrity designed suites and the Great Exhibition at the all-new grand Crystal Palace along with re-themed and expanded retail and dining areas in addition to a 6,000-seat Londoner Arena.

Arup’s structural and fire engineering teams were involved in various project areas to bring this iconic landmark to life and provide a new leisure spot for the community.

Project Summary

96m high Elizabeth Tower

300mlong west façade

6,000-seat Londoner Arena

To evoke the limestone façade of the 19th century Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) in London, a new façade was constructed from glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels to the existing West face of the podium.

We designed the complex steel support structure for the panels and provided the fire protection strategy as well as site support during the construction process. Our team managed to significantly reduce the amount of new structure required by utilising the existing structure to reduce the amount of strengthening works and using the existing concrete backing walls to resist lateral loads where possible.

©Top Builders Group

To the North of the façade is a 1:1 replica of the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben Clock Tower). Using a superstructure of RC columns and shear walls, the tower has an upper form created in steelwork all clad in similar GFRC panels to the façade.

Given the poor ground conditions on the Cotai Strip, our challenge was to thread new piles through the existing basement structure and assess any additional settlement. We worked with the Contractor to devise a methodology that was feasible and coordinated with the existing structure and services.

We conducted a comprehensive exit capacity review to ensure the safety of customers, staff, and construction workers during each construction phase. Innovative solutions were adopted to minimise the impact on occupant egress and firefighter rescue strategies during emergencies.

The spacious nature of the Crystal Palace posed a significant challenge to our fire engineers. The Victorian-style atrium features a 33m-high skylight and a 1,000m² footprint. To maintain the aesthetics while reducing the size of the sprinkler system, we introduced an extended coverage of horizontal sidewall sprinklers at 6m above the floor to provide precise protection to specific areas with combustible substances. In the event of a fire, water will be discharged from designated sprinklers to control the fire. Unprotected areas are designed to remain combustion-free to minimise fire risks.

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