Don't look down: A guest swims in the infinity pool of the Skypark that tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers -

55 storeys over the city of Singapore yesterday

To infinity... and beyond! The pool stretches 150 metres, three times the length of an Olympic swimming pool

The view over the side: An artist's impression shows the Skypark that tops the Marina Bay Sands hotel towers,

including the infinity pool

The hotel, which has 2,560 rooms costing from £350 a night, was officially opened yesterday with a concert by

Diana Ross.

The Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, estimated to have cost £2billion when it opened in 2004, was previously

the world's most expensive hotel.

But with its indoor canal, opulent art, casino, outdoor plaza, convention centre, theatre, crystal pavilion and

museum shaped like a lotus flower, the Marina Bay Sands has taken its crown.

The infinity pool on the roof is in the 'SkyPark' which spans the three towers of the hotel. The platform itself is longer than the Eiffel tower laid down and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Infinity pools give the effect that the water extends to the horizon. In reality, the water spills over the edge into a

catchment below, and is then pumped back into the pool. The pools have two circulation systems. The first

functions like that of a regular pool, filtering and heating the water in the main pool. The second filters the

water in the catch basin and returns it to the upper pool.

The resort from across the bay. The three towers were based on a deck of cards, according to designer Moshe Safdie

A skydiver parachutes pass the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands casino resort as part of the venue's

opening celebrations yesterday

Extreme: Left, relay teams scale one of the towers in a race commemorating the opening yesterday. Right, a newly-wed couple enjoy a canal ride inside the resort's shopping centre

The Marina Sands resort was designed by architect Moshe Safdie who based it on a deck of cards.

Inside shoppers can ride along an indoor canal in Sampan boats styled on traditional Chinese vessels from the

17th century.

The owners have also commissioned five well-known artists to create works of art to 'integrate' with the buildings.

Among these is a 40m-long Antony Gormley sculpture made from 16,100 steel rods. The whole thing weighs

14.8 tons and it took 60 people to assemble it in the hotel.

Artist Chongbin Zheng created Rising Forest which is 83 three metre high pots with trees in them. The pots

were so big the artist had to build a customised kiln the size of a small building to make them in.

Last night, the world's most expensive hotel was given a launch party befitting it. Singing legend Diana

Ross performed for 2,500 VIPs in the resort's Grand Ballroom and pop singer Kelly Rowland headlined an outdoor

concert.

Money-maker: Left, the entrance to the casino, which costs nearly £50 to get in and is attracting 25,000

visitors each day. Right, a man looks through a steel web art structure in one of the towers

Just enjoying the sun: Models pose in the pool for journalists at the grand opening yesterday