Songjiang hotel, Shanghai
- Building Information Dec 2006 from Atkins
Atkins wins international design competition for Songjiang beauty spot
hotel
image © Atkins
Atkins has won an international competition to design a five-star resort
hotel set within a beautiful water-filled quarry in the Songjiang district
close to Shanghai in China. Its stunning concept designs inspired by the
natural water and landscape features of the quarry captured the imagination
of judges to quash competition from two other international firms.
image © Atkins
The innovative design of the 400-bed resort hotel stands two levels higher
than the rock face of the 100 metre deep quarry and includes underwater
public areas and guestrooms. It will incorporate conference facilities
for up to 1,000 people, a banqueting centre, restaurants, cafés
and sports facilities. Sustainability is integral to the design ranging
from using green roofing for the structures above the ground level to
geothermal energy extraction.
An aquatic theme runs through the design both visually and functionally.
Curved wings of the main body of the guestrooms enclose a naturally lit
internal atrium, which uses the existing rock face with its waterfalls
and green vegetation. This will be overlooked by guestroom balconies and
contain restaurants and cafés at the base. Two underwater levels
will house a restaurant and guestrooms facing a ten-metre deep aquarium.
The lowest level of the hotel will contain a leisure complex with a swimming
pool and water-based sports. An extreme sports centre for activities such
as rock climbing and bungee jumping will be cantilevered over the quarry
and accessed by special lifts from the water level of the hotel.
Bristol-based Martin Jochman, who led the design team, says, "We
drew our inspiration from the quarry setting itself, adopting the image
of a green hill cascading down the natural rock face as a series of terraced
landscaped hanging gardens. In the centre, we have created a transparent
glass 'waterfall' from a central vertical circulation atrium connecting
the quarry base with the ground level. This replicates the natural waterfalls
on the existing quarry face."
The Songjiang district is a natural beauty spot close to Shanghai and
an increasingly popular weekend and holiday destination for Shanghai residents
and other visitors. The new resort hotel will help to meet growing demand
and offer an additional attraction for this unique district.
The project is Atkins' eighth design competition win in China this year.
It also reinforces the company's international reputation for exceptional
hotel design. The design was the result of collaboration between Atkins'
teams in Bristol and Shanghai. It was led by Martin Jochman in Bristol
and involved Paul Rice, Hu Yali, Ding Fang, Zhang Jian and Vivian Chen
from Shanghai.
Songjiang hotel, China: Building PR 20 Dec 2006 from Atkins, Architects
Songjiang hotel,
Shanghai : Atkins
Hong
Kong and Shanghai Bank
Hong Kong
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Shanghai tower
Atkins Chinese
building : Taiyuan
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