Stunning underground hotel planned for Shanghai
February 24, 2013 Leave a comment
A new hotel is being built that will extend 328 feet underground, but fear not it will still have a view.
The Shimao Intercontinental Hotel, is being built in an abandoned quarry near the base of Tianmashan Mountain in the Songjiang district of Shanghai.
The hotel will accommodate 380 rooms over 19 floors, with three of those being above ground, whilst the remainder are built against the face of the 100 meter deep quarry.
The concept is to mimic a waterfall with a glass atrium that will span from the ground-level all the way down into the quarry and was designed by the British engineering firm Atkins Global. It will also blend into the surrounding area via green roofs at the ground level, which will double up as insulation.
To increase the wow factor of the future 5-star resort there are no plans to drain the water from the bottom of the quarry. Instead they will use it as a man-made lake for water sports.
There will also be underwater public areas, including a 10-meter-deep aquarium, alongside the standard amenities you would expect from a luxury hotel; cafes, restaurants, swimming pools, shops and sporting facilities.
Whilst the hotel wont meet the original opening date of May 2009, it is scheduled to be open from late 2014 to early 2015.
