Morphing Metropolis

Marina Bay Sands
Slated to be home to Singapore’s first casino when completed in 2009, this $4 billion resort will sport more than 2,500 hotel rooms in three soaring towers. The project includes a shopping mall traversed by canals, an indoor ice-skating rink, two 2,000-seat theaters for Broadway shows, and an architecturally distinctive arts-and-science museum

Sentosa Cove
Developers say they had the French Riviera in mind when they drew up plans for a 117-hectare residential enclave on Sentosa Island. The hoi polloi need not apply. Luxury homes there cost as much as $20 million; residents have access to a yacht marina and a world-class golf course. To attract rich foreigners, Singapore amended its property laws to allow expat buyers to secure 99-year leases on land. The project is part of a wide-ranging plan to upgrade Sentosa Island for tourism

St. Regis Residences
The latest addition to U.S.-based developer Starwood’s internationally known St. Regis line of upscale properties, these 173 luxury flats sold out quickly at record prices after hitting the market last June. When the St. Regis and its sister hotel, located next door, are completed in 2008, they’ll rise over an upgraded Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping district