Melco Crown Architect Dies

Zaha Hadid (shown with Lawrence Ho), award-winning architect behind the fifth hotel tower at Melco Crown’s City of Dreams in Macau, has died of a heart attack in Miami. The international casino operator expressed its sympathies at her passing, and added that construction of the tower will not be affected.

The death of noted architect Dame Zaha Hadid will not affect the development a hotel tower she designed at Melco Crown Entertainment’s City of Dreams on Macau’s Cotai Strip, according to GGRAsia.

Hadid died of heart attack in a Miami, Florida hospital on March 31, BBC News reported. The British-Iraqi architect was 65.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Dame Zaha Hadid’s passing and would like to extend our heartfelt condolences and sincere regards to her family and colleagues at Zaha Hadid Architects during these difficult times,” said Melco Crown in a statement. “We do not anticipate any impact on the construction progress of City of Dreams’ fifth hotel tower, as the architectural designs are already in place and the construction will continue in close cooperation with Zaha Hadid Architects, other professional parties and contractors on the project.”

The projected opening in 2018 “remains unchanged,” the company added.

The so-called “Tower D” will have 40 floors and a gross floor area of 150,000 square meters (1.6 million square feet), with 780 guestrooms, suites and villas.

According to the statement from Melco Crown, “the great work of Dame Zaha Hadid (will) make City of Dreams’ fifth hotel tower the iconic landmark in Macau.”