Reinforcing Macau’s reputation as the Las Vegas of the East is the City of Dreams, a US$2.1 billion aquatic-themed gaming and entertainment resort on Cotai strip. The Melcro Crown Entertainment development comprises a vast five storey podium with two levels of gaming floors, an underground car park, two levels of retail streets, five hotel towers providing some 2500 rooms, an aquatic theatre and an energy centre. A series of stylistic water features are on show outside. The project covers a ground floor area of about 500,000m2. We provided civil, traffic, geotechnical and structural design services for almost the entire development, plus building services design for the two 5-star Hyatt hotels. Incorporating a generous range of food and beverage facilities the Hyatt podium includes a 2000m2 ballroom, another at 1300m2 with conference areas, plus a 1300m2 spa and health club. Challenges The project was a fast-track development so designs incorporated simple steel connections and standardised steel sections. A pre-cast concrete façade at podium minimised the need for in-situ work, greatly reducing the project’s susceptibility to bad weather while speeding up construction. Lift core walls have been designed for slipform construction. The theatre extends 23m below ground, 21m into the water table, and is housed in a diaphragm wall shaft with a top-down construction of intermediate bracing floors. Transfer beams and trusses were placed in areas to provide large column-free spaces.