The Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore, designed by Moshe Safdie. Photo: Timothy Hursley.

JNS.org – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has awarded the Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safie with its 2015 Gold Medal for his international work in planning structures in public and cultural spaces.

The AIA Gold Medal is considered the most prestigious award in the field of architecture. Safdie was awarded the prize for, among other projects, planning the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore, which is owned by Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands company.

More than $6 billion was invested in the Singapore hotel, which features an infinity pool constructed over the roofs of Singapore skyscrapers, an architectural wonder that has become the No. 1 tourist attraction in the city. The Marina Bay Sands also includes a museum, theaters, tourist attractions, and expo centers.

Safdie began his career in 1967 by building Habitat 67, the beehive-shaped athlete’s village for the Montreal Olympics. The architect’s many notable projects include the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, the Khalsa Heritage Memorial, a museum dedicated to India’s Sikh people, the main branch of the Salt Lake City Library, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas.