The complex will be three times bigger than Ski Dubai, the former number one indoor snow park
People of Shanghai will soon have the opportunity to spend their afternoons skiing while not even having to leave the city. By 2022, China’s largest city by population will be home to world’s largest ski and snow park, three times larger than the famous Ski Dubai that opened in 2005 in the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai not only served as a place of inspiration, but Majid Al Futtaim, the company that opened the former world’s first and biggest indoor snow park, will deliver the operation to Shanghai an will help develop the complex of unprecedented size.
In a press release, the Dubai-based retail giant announced that the ski and snow resort will be called Wintastar Shanghai and will be 90,000 square meters in size. It will feature three ski slopes, each with a different gradient. The company described one of them as the “Olympic standard for training”.
For those who are not enthusiastic about sliding down a snowy hill, the complex will also offer 25 different wintery activities.
After launching operations in Dubai and Egypt, this will be the first time Majid Al Futtaim will deliver a similar project outside the Middle East.
“We’re confident this represents the beginning of an extensive international footprint when it comes to indoor snow entertainment facilities,” said Ahmed Galal Ismail, chief executive officer of the ventures division of Majid Al Futtaim, in the release.
The project will feature unique architecture designed by international award-winning Italian architect Massimo Mercurio of Rome-based Mercurio Design Lab. Mercurio draws inspiration from famed European alpine ski towns, natural iceberg formations and the charm of the Alps.
The project will be conducted by Singapore-based developer KOP Limited that announced the project in August.
Ong Chih Ching, the executive chairman and executive director of KOP, said: “The timing for Wintastar Shanghai could not be better, with Chinese consumers yearning for travel, leisure, novel experiences, and winter sports being the next big thing in China because of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
“This is KOPL’s largest project so far, and like our past track record of iconic projects, we are excited to work alongside our strong local partners to push new boundaries and introduce new and innovative concepts to the Chinese market.”
The complex will beat the current record holder, which is based in China as well, by 10,000 square metres. Located in the city of Harbin in the country’s far northeast, the Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort opened in 2017 and is 80,000 square metres in size.
