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September 13, 2016

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Home » District » Songjiang

Mining pit turns into subterranean five-star hotel

Source: Shanghai Daily | September 13, 2016, Tuesday | Print Edition

SHESHAN Shimao Pit Hotel, built almost entirely below ground level and considered a wonder of modern engineering, is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.

The “S” shape of the five-star hotel is built along one wall of an abandoned mining pit near the base of Tianmashan Mountain. The concept and facade design firm for this project is JADE+QA, led by Martin Jochman.

The local architect is East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co, which is responsible for design development, construction documentation and structural design.

The hotel will have 18 floors, with two underwater in the partially flooded pit. Only two floors, including the lobby, meeting center, dining and recreation facilities, will be above ground level.

The hotel will have 370 rooms, conference rooms for up to 1,000 people, a grand ballroom, and restaurants and cafes on the ground floor.

The roofs will feature several hanging gardens, producing the effect of a green hill extending down the face of the pit.

The pit’s rock face and the arced wings of blocks of guest rooms will surround atria within the hotel. A vertical atrium made of glass will run from the bottom of the hotel to the ground level, disguised as a “waterfall.”

The project would also include facilities for extreme sports such as rock climbing and bungee jumping, and a sightseeing platform, where visitors can take in the full panorama of the landscape. Part of the abandoned pit will be partially filled with water to create an artificial lake in front of the hotel.

Building the world’s lowest artificial altitude hotel has had its challenges, including how to design fire safety systems, waterproof facilities and take precautions against earthquakes.

Early construction work was riddled with delays. Most have been ironed out, and work since 2014 has been smooth and on time.

New equipment such as 3D scanners, wire-release robots and unmanned aerial vehicles have been used in the construction, helping to detect uneven rock surfaces, make precise measurements and facilitate the transport of workers and construction materials.

Songjiang


 

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