Click on the pictures to get a larger sized one!


Above: the little city of Macau (21 square km of land consisting of three islands) seen from Macau Tower.
This former Portuguese colony isn't the most prolific skyscraper city in the world,
but since I had the opportunity to visit this lovely place, it was an easy thing to shoot some pictures and add Macau
to the many other cities that are part of the Skyscraper Picture Collection.
Though not a real skyscraper city, Macau still has some tall buildings, including its tallest, the 163m/535f tall
Bank of China Building, though the city has a lot of mid-rise buildings with 15-25 stories.
One of the latest attractions is the 338m/1109f tall Macau Tower which was opened at the end of 2001,
from which you can have a commanding view over the city and the borders of China.
In 1999, Macau was given back to China by the Portuguese and like Hong Kong is now a special Administrative region.


Above: Three pictures of Macau's finest and tallest: Edificio Banca da China,
or in English, Bank of China Building.
The building is 163m/535f tall, has 38 floors and was completed in 1991.


Above left and middle: the Macau Tower convention and entertainment centre,
with Macau Tower standing next to it (338m/1109f, 2001). The complex consists of some shops, a cinema,
a conference centre, a theatre, and an exhibition hall. The complex and tower were built on reclaimed land.
Work on the tower began in August of 1998 and ended in July of 2001.
The complex was officially opened on December 19, 2001.
The tower itself gives a nice view over Macau and its surroundings, but having been on quite a few
towers and observation decks, I must admit that this one was rather dull. Except for the view,
there wasn't anything interesting going on and considering this, the price to enter was rather expensive.
To go up you can either pay individually for one of the two observatories
(one outside (well, still covered by glass for the most part, but you could feel the wind) at 235m/771f,
and one inside with some parts of the floors made of glass at 223f/732f),
or get a combined ticket for the both of them (70 mop (around $9,-).
If you are planning to go up, just pay for the indoor observation lounge (45 mop, around $4,50),
and don't bother to pay for the outdoor, since this one adds nothing to the spectacle.
It gives you the same kind of view, but with far more reflection in the glass.
But despite all this, whenever you are in Macau, be sure to visit this tower as well
and enjoy the majestic view from the currently 14th tallest free-standing telecommunication
tower in the world.
Above right: Macau's second tallest (although I don't have any height):
The Phoenix Terrace, a 40-story residential and office building. The building is from 2000.


Above left: Edificio Orchid Tower, a 30+ story tower, which is from 1990.
Above middle: Edificio Administração Pública, 28 stories, 2000 (no height known, but close to 100m/328f).
Above right: Banco Luso Internacional (no height known, 28 stories).


Above left: two residential buildings: on the left, Edificio Jardim Vista do Lago
or in English Lake View Garden building (no height available, 33 floors).
On the right, Edificio Lung Tou Kok (no height available, 34 floors).
Above middle: view down Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues with in the far distance the Bank of China building.
On the left, rising above the rest, Parkview Plaza (27 stories, no height available),
and the 26-story tall Federaçào Das Associações de Zhuhai de Macau building.
Above right: view from Macau Tower, with Bank of China building.
Next to it on the left, stands the Centro Comercial Yang Cheng building.
In the far distance, you can spot the brown Phoenix Terrace building.
On the right, one of Macau's most famous buildings can be seen,
the Lisboa Hotel (19 floors) and Casino Lisbao, one of Macau's many casino's.


Above left: China Law Building (l, 26 stories) and Banco Tai Fung building (r, 27 stories) .
Above middle: view over the city from Monte Fort.
Above right: Macau's most famous landmark, the ruins of St. Paul's (1637).
A fire in 1853 caused by a typhoon destroyed the body of this church.
The facade and the stairway are the only remainders of the old majestic construction.
Next to the ruin lies Monte Fort, an old fortress, from which you can get some nice views over the city
(see previous picture)

All pictures copyright (c) 2002 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
Download of any pictures from this site without written consent is strictly prohibited, unless for personal use!
This personal use does NOT include using the pictures on other web sites.


Home