August 30, 2018

SGX Catalist-listed purveyor of luxury lifestyle, real estate and hospitality, KOP announced the groundbreaking of Wintastar Shanghai—its highly anticipated integrated sports-entertainment-tourism resort that will house the world’s largest indoor Ski & Snow Park.

KOP will also partner up with leading integrated lifestyle provider, Majid Al Futtaim to operate Wintastar Shanghai’s indoor Ski & Snow Park.

The groundbreaking event held in Shanghai today was graced by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, as well as Mr Chen Jie, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Lingang Administrative Committee. Consul General of the Singapore Consulate in Shanghai, Mr Loh Tuck Wai and Consul General of the UAE Consulate in Shanghai, Mr Rashed Matar Alquemzi were among the key dignitaries at the event.

Strategically located in Lingang of Pudong district, the integrated lifestyle development will join the ranks of Shanghai Disney Resort, Haichang Polar Ocean World and Shanghai Planetarium as the latest tourism icons of Shanghai. Wintastar Shanghai’s integrated concept comes amidst a shift in consumerism towards unique experiences and away from material goods, as well as an increasing reliance on smartphones and technology.

Ms 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 KOP’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 large-scale mixed-development will also offer opportunities for KOP to build new income streams, many of which are recurring in nature, for our sustainable growth going forward.”

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Unveiling a new and sophisticated façade, Wintastar Shanghai’s unique architecture designed by international award-winning Italian architect, Massimo Mercurio of Singapore-based, Mercurio Design Lab, draws inspiration from famed European alpine ski towns, natural iceberg formations and the charm of the alps. The glistening quality of the glacial allure of Wintastar Shanghai’s façade exudes a sense of luxury and primes it to become one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks.

With a total GFA of 227,000 sqm, Wintastar Shanghai’s highlight is the alpine-themed 90,000 sqm Ski & Snow Park, which will be the largest of its kind, complete with hotel ski-in-ski-out access and après-ski. The resort’s mixture of sports, leisure, hospitality, entertainment and tourism taps on new consumer trends in China, promising to deliver a truly immersive experience.

Ms Ong added, “Story immersion and theming are big trends in parks and attractions worldwide. We want to combine that piece of action with winter sports and play, to target sports enthusiasts, youths and families. What we hope to create is a ski culture that all can embrace in China, which resonates with the vision of the Chinese leaders. That’s why themed hotel stays, ski training schools and après-ski are important for the holistic Wintastar Shanghai experience.”

Wintastar Shanghai is a multi-billion renminbi project that is being jointly invested and developed by Shanghai Lujiazui Development (Group) Company, Wintastar Holdings, a subsidiary of KOP, and Shanghai Harbour City Development (Group) Company. The three parties have set up a joint venture company (JVC), Shanghai Snow Star Properties Co. to develop the Wintastar Shanghai project.

Partnering with the company behind Ski Dubai and Ski Egypt to operate indoor Ski & Snow Park, the world’s largest and the first with ski-in-ski-out facilities

The major shareholder of the Wintastar Shanghai project operating company, KOP, is partnering with Majid Al Futtaim on the design and operation of Wintastar Shanghai’s Ski and Snow Park.

Majid Al Futtaim’s Global Snow division will provide design and production consultancy services, harnessing over a decade of success in building and operating indoor snow attractions. It is expected that Majid Al Futtaim will be operating the 90,000 GFA sqm attraction once opened – which would make it the company’s first operation in China, and its largest.

Majid Al Futtaim created “the magic of snow in the desert” with Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski and snow attraction in the Middle East, which today holds the coveted World’s Best Indoor Ski Resort award for two successive years, attracting a million guests annually. In 2017, Majid Al Futtaim launched the first indoor ski resort in Africa with Ski Egypt, is currently developing Ski Saudi, Snow Oman and will operate a snow park in Abu Dhabi’s upcoming Reem Mall through a third-party management agreement, totalling 127,000 sqm of operational and upcoming snow entertainment GFA.

The design of Wintastar Shanghai’s alpine-themed Ski and Snow Park was undertaken by global experience design and production agency, Thinkwell Group, in close collaboration with the JVC and Majid Al Futtaim’s Global Snow division. Professional skiers, amateurs, trainers/trainees, adults and children alike can expect an awe-inspiring, richly-themed snow play and ski experience from a combination of three ski slopes of varying gradients including a slope of Olympics standard for training purposes; ski runs, and over 25 snow play attractions to cater to non-skiers. Special thought has been given in the design and planning of Wintastar Shanghai to include après-ski activities for skiers (specialty ski retail, numerous F&B outlets) as well as non-skiers, such as our spa experience, water park, show events, exhibitions and performances.

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Water park to deliver an immersive, Viking-themed adventure

Wintastar Shanghai’s water park aims to set new records with its Icelandic Nordic Viking theme which promises twists, inversions and even record-setting waterslides. Presented over two levels, the 28,000 sqm water park will offer both indoor and outdoor experiences. Working in partnership with renowned water park consultant, WhiteWater, Wintastar Shanghai will push new boundaries in design to deliver the best, interactive, overall water-play experience for thrill-seekers and families alike.

To be opened throughout the year, the water theme park will utilise innovative energy solutions to offer varied hot springs and spa experiences from around the world. A beach club, an infinity pool, an opening from a Viking Ship that allows water park visitors a sneak peek into the icy cold world of the Ski Park next door, and a lazy river connecting both levels that transports water park players across a world of Fire and Ice—are just a flavour of some of the visual and multi-sensory surprises installed in the water park’s highly themed Viking Adventure.

KOP’s self-managed hospitality brand, Montigo Resorts, makes its first foray into China with four themed hotels offering 1,000 rooms

KOP’s international and award-winning luxury hospitality brand, Montigo Resorts, will make its first foray into China via Wintastar Shanghai, offering over 1,000 room keys in four themed hotels: Montigo Luxe, Montigo Hotels, Montigo Residences and Montigo Ice, designed to create different accommodation experiences for everyone—from family, adventurous to luxurious.

The highlight of Montigo Luxe includes rooms with ski-in-ski-out facilities, offering skiers added slope access and convenience. Alpine-themed décor, experiential elements and the use of smart technologies will be integral to the design of the Wintastar Shanghai’s stay experience.

Wintastar Shanghai targeted to complete in 2022

Apart from the ski and snow park (which also includes an ice-skating rink), the water theme park and four themed hotels, this integrated resort also comes with 11,000 sqm of retail and F&B, as well as venues for shows, exhibitions and events.

To date, Wintastar Shanghai has been in talks with local and foreign partners from the Middle East, Europe (Austria/Switzerland), Russia, Singapore, US, Canada and China for design and operation contracts. Wintastar Shanghai is also in talks with Chinese companies such as Tencent and Alibaba to explore collaborations on the sales, technology, marketing and publicity/broadcasting fronts. More details on these partnerships will be released in due course as they are finalised.

Targeted to complete in 2022, Wintastar Shanghai expects to attract an estimated 3.2 million visitors annually on a stabilised basis. Its target audience will be mainly residents from Shanghai municipality, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and domestic tourists from all over China.