After almost 10 years of construction, Shanghai has unveiled to the public its ‘earthscraper’ hotel built vertically along the precipice of an underground, water-filled quarry.
The Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, also known as Shimao Quarry Hotel, has cliff-view rooms that allow guests to stare into the abyss. Prices for the suites range from 3,400 to 3,800 yuan ($489 – $546) per night.
Costing $287.9 million to complete, the 88-meter-deep hotel is located in the Songjiang district.
The 336-room building has a restaurant and sports and recreation facilities including rock climbing and bungee jumping, according to its developer, Shimao Group.
According to British architect Martin Jochman who designed the hotel, “It’s the first time to turn an abandoned quarry into a wonderful hotel beneath the ground.”
Two of the hotel’s 18 floors are aboveground, while the two lowest are completely submerged by a lake that occupies the remainder of the vast quarry pit.
Jochman, the project’s chief architect who also designed Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, said the new property was designed to blend in with its natural surroundings.
Alongside the hotel, at ground level, there’s a glitzy amusement park. The lake below will be used for water sports and other adventure activities.
The hotel’s owners say the facility is able to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake. The design incorporates two fireman’s lifts if needed for fighting fires, and six pumping machines should the huge pit flood during Shanghai’s wet rainy season.
Earlier, Shanghai claimed the “home to the world’s second-tallest building” title in 2016 with the opening of Shanghai Tower, a 632-meter, 128-story skyscraper in the city’s financial district.
RT. commit / ABC Flash Point News 2019.
