The government’s project to set up a temporary open-air venue for hosting large-scale performances, to be located on a large plot next to the Lisboeta Macau resort in Cotai, will cost at least 89.9 million patacas, the Public Works Bureau (DSOP) has announced.
The bureau announced construction details of the project on its website on Saturday, according to which the bureau has launched a tender by invitation when it asked six construction companies to bid for the “Macau Open-Air Performance Venue” construction project.
According to Saturday’s announcement, all six companies submitted their respective bids, which were unsealed by DSOP officials on Friday.
The quotations proposed by the six bidders range from 84.78 million patacas to 113.42 million patacas, according to the DSOP website.
The construction periods proposed by the six bidders are identical, 107 days.
After the bureau completes assessing the six bids, it will choose and commission the winning bidder.
Ground levelling
According to the DSOP website, the bureau earlier this year commissioned an architecture company to carry out the design of the Macau Open-Air Performance Venue project for a price tag of 2.28 million patacas, after which the bureau commissioned two construction companies to carry out the plot’s ground levelling work for a total price tag of 2.835 million patacas, which has now been completed, creating the necessary conditions for the Macau Open-Air Performance Venue construction project to get off the ground soon.
Consequently, based on the price tag for the project’s design and the plot’s ground levelling work as well as the quotations for the project which were unsealed on Friday, the project will cost at least 89.9 million patacas.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced last month the government’s decision to choose the 94,000-square-metre plot as the location for setting up its temporary open-air venue for hosting concerts and other performances with a capacity of 50,000 spectators. The bureau also said at that time that the temporary Macau Open-Air Performance Venue was expected to start operating next year.
The large government plot in south-east Cotai is located east of the Lisboeta Macau resort, and south of the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau complex.
Lisboeta Macau is situated east of the government-owned Macau East Asian Games Dome.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U told reporters last month that the government expected the first performance to be held at the new facility early next year.
The outdoor venue for hosting large-scale performances will only be operated on a temporary basis before the plot is finally used for its permanent purposes.
Macau’s official urban master plan, which took effect in 2022, earmarks the 94,000-square-metre plot for tourism and entertainment purposes. However, the government is yet to determine the plot’s exact permanent purposes and use.
Construction details
The DSOP website reaffirms that the temporary Macau Open-Air Performance Venue aims to help Macau develop itself into a city featuring performances in line with the government’s “1+4” plan to appropriately diversify the city’s economy.
The government’s 1+4 model aims to consolidate and diversify the development of the city’s tourism and leisure industry while putting special emphasis on promoting the development of four nascent industries, namely 1) big health mainly driven by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), 2) modern finance, 3) high-tech, and 4) MICE and commerce as well as culture and sports.
According to the DSOP website, the government’s project to set up the temporary Macau Open-Air Performance Venue will include reinforced concrete platforms on the plot as well as electromechanical systems and drainage installations. The website says that mobile multifunctional rooms will be set up to be used for various facilities such as toilets, relaxation rooms, and offices used by teams organising performances.
According to the website, the large outdoor performance facility will comprise four main areas, namely the spectators’ area on the plot’s centre, entrance and security-check area, area for the stage and its back-office support, and crowd evacuation area.
This DSOP map in Chinese released on Saturday shows the outdoor performance venue’s four main areas comprising the spectators’ area (blue), entrance and security-check area (yellow), area for the stage and its back-office support (pink), and crowd evacuation area (green).
This artist’s rendition released by the Public Works Bureau (DSOP) on Saturday shows the future Macau Open-Air Performance Venue in south-east Cotai.
