Macau christens casino designed by famed architect Zaha Hadid

Last Friday, Macau welcomed a new casino when it turned on the lights in the Morpheus resort. The resort, which was designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, features characteristics commonly seen in her work, such as futuristic curves and skeletal steel structures.

The $1.1-billion structure adds a 42-story building to the skyline in Macau. It was named after the Greek god of dreams and was developed by Melco International. Construction initially began in 2013 and Melco chairman Lawrence Ho chose Hadid for the design in order “to find the most iconic architect that can do something just insane.”

The top floors of Morpheus are reserved for high rollers. They offer duplex villas with private in-room gyms and massage rooms. The top floors also provide an exclusive gaming area open only to the high rollers.

Morpheus is designed to be the flagship hotel for Melco’s City of Dreams in Macau. According to Ho, “Everything we built up until now has been to build up a great showcase.”