For more than a decade, China has been a front-runner in the world’s skyscraper race. Now the country is taking the pole position in digging “groundscrapers” -- enormous structures built mostly underground.
Most recently, ground has been broken on construction of a high-end hotel at the foot of Shanghai’s Tianmashan in a 100-meter-deep pit.
Developed by Shanghai Shimao Property Group and to be managed by InterContinental Hotels Group, the hotel, named InterContinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, is expected to extend 19 stories into the bottom of the pit. It's due to open in late 2014 or early 2015.
Once completed, the deepest story of the luxury resort will be approximately 700 meters lower than the top floor of the world’s-highest-hotel-to-be, the Shanghai Tower J Hotel in Shanghai Tower, set for completion around the same time. Located about 45 kilometers southwest of Shanghai's city center, the pit in Tianmashan is 100 meters deep, 240 meters long and 160 meters wide. The lowest 20 meters are filled with stagnant rainwater, which the hotel will retain.
“The pit has served as a quarry since the 1950s,” said Yao Qi senior branding manager of Shanghai Shimao Property Group. "It has been abandoned since the year 2000."
Shimao purchased the surrounding land in 2006 in order to build Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, a large-scale theme park integrating hospitality, leisure and entertainment elements. The hotel is planned as part of the wonderland complex. Construction of the 380-room InterContinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland commenced last month. The 19-story hotel will have three levels above ground, and 16 underground, including an underwater restaurant.
“A 60-meter glass curtain will be built to mimic a waterfall next to the resort’s main structure,” said Yao.
Designed by UK-based engineering firm Atkins, the company behind the ostentatious Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, the quarry hotel design bagged a Gold Medal at last year's commercial real estate MIPIM Asia Awards.
Hotel planners are considering taking advantage of the site's surrounding cliffs by hosting activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping. Industry experts believe nightly room rates will start from RMB 2,000 (US$320), twice the price currently charged by nearby five-star hotels. Shimao is investing a total of RMB 3.5 billion (US$555 million) in the 428,200-square-meter Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, of which RMB 600 million (US$95 million) will go toward the subterranean resort.
The Shanghai property group has yet to reveal detailed plans for the rest of the wonderland complex. BD+C
Related Stories
| Jul 22, 2013
Top Office Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Jacobs top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest office sector engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 22, 2013
Top Office Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, HOK, Perkins+Will top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest office sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 22, 2013
Market gains encourage better workplace design [2013 Giants 300 Report]
The commercial office sector is finally heating up, led by corporate headquarter and medical office building projects.
| Jul 22, 2013
Top Hotel Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Manhattan Construction, Structure Tone, Lend Lease top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest hotel contractors and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 22, 2013
Top Hotel Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, WATG, HKS top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest hotel architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 22, 2013
Hotel business continues to shine [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Despite some economic stressors, hotel operating fundamentals are poised to remain strong in 2013.
| Jul 22, 2013
Transportation Facility Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from airport terminals and other transportation-related facilities, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 22, 2013
Convention Center Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from convention center projects, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 22, 2013
Cultural Facility Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 22, 2013
International Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
