Resorts World Birmingham: Behind the scenes of the build Published duration 3 May 2015

image copyright Resorts World image caption A computer-generated image of Resorts World Birmingham shows the roof terrace and bar

Resorts World Birmingham - a behemoth housing 17 bars and restaurants, 50 shops, an Imax cinema, a casino, spa and luxury hotel - is entering the final stages of construction.

It is the project of Malaysian conglomerate the Genting Group, which owns and runs more than 40 casinos in the UK.

image caption Most of the basic construction work is nearly complete

image caption The central 'atrium' will be the resort's showpiece area

Due to open "towards the middle to end of summer", the seven-floor 538,000 sq ft (50,000 sq m) building cost £150m to build, will take 1,200 staff to run, and will be able to accommodate at least 12,000 people at any one time.

image caption The project will cost about £150m to complete

image caption Seating booths are being finished in one of the bars and lounges

image copyright Resorts World image caption The largest restaurant will serve Australasian food

Roughly based on the shape of a cruise ship, the resort is the first of its type in the UK, according to operations manager Barry Clemo, in that visitors will not have to leave the building.

"In this country people don't understand what a resort like this is. Visitors will be able to come here, shop, drink Champagne, go to the cinema or casino and if they want, stay the night."

image caption Birmingham airport can be seen from some of the balconies

image caption The escalators through the centre of the 'atrium' have been installed

Built on the NEC site, it is next to the newly-named Genting Arena - formerly the LG Arena.

The cavernous interior has double-height ceilings, which take the seven floors of the building to the height of a 12-storey one, Mr Clemo said.

image caption About 600 construction workers are on site, along with administrative and managerial staff

image caption The inspiration for the shape of the building is a cruise ship

image caption The building will house a casino, 17 bars and restaurants, and a spa

Mr Clemo said the resort was aimed at people "too young to sit at home watching telly, and too old to push through the crowds in the city centre.

"I envisage it to be the sort of place where parents have a babysitter arranged and want to have a night out. Most of our clientele will be within an hour, or hour-and-a-half, radius."

image caption There will be 178 four-star hotel bedrooms, and five five-star suites - one of them a 'Presidential Suite' which includes its own kitchen

image caption The ground floor of the building will be a shopping mall

image copyright Resort World image caption Computer-generated images show what the shopping mall will look like

Mr Clemo said: "Everything is here, next to each other. It's not like if you go into the city centre, and have to get from A to B.

"You may want to go to a restaurant and then a bar and the hassle of getting from one place to another sometimes means you just don't bother with the bar and you go home - but then feel like you've missed out.