In China, after twelve years of construction, a hotel opened on the site of an abandoned quarry. The authors of the unusual building are the Chinese-British bureau Jade + QA. According to the architects, the concept of the building is inspired by the place itself and the surrounding landscape, and the structure is built according to the yin-yang principles, which are based on the balance of light and dark, heaven and earth.
Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental Hotel, located near Shanghai, sits at a depth of 88m (with the quarry half-filled with water) and descends 16 stories below ground level. The structure, completely made of glass and metal, consists of three volumes, which are tightly adjacent to the wall of the quarry.
The two lower floors of the building go under the water – they are equipped with a restaurant and additional rooms, from where you can see the underwater aquarium. The two upper ones, on the contrary, rise above the ground – there will be a reception, another restaurant, conference rooms. There is a swimming pool on one of the floors at the water level. The hotel has 337 rooms in total.
The central part of the complex is a glass tower that resembles a waterfall, especially with a spectacular night illumination. There is an elevator inside it, which connects all the buildings of the building, and on top is an observation deck. In addition, on the ground side, the hotel has an exploited roof, on which sports grounds and mini-gardens are equipped.
