An Amazing Underground Hotel in Songjiang Begins

Some years ago, a British engineering firm Atkins proposed an extravagant design for a five-star hotel located deep within
a 100-meter, abandoned and half flooded pit near the base of Tianmashan
Mountain in the Songjiang District of Shanghai. Construction on the
19-story, 380-room Shimao Intercontinental Hotel finally is already
underway. Initially the hotel was expected to be completed by May, 2009,
but construction commenced only in March early this year.
The innovative design of the luxury resort hotel stands two levels higher than the rock face of the 100 meter deep quarry and includes underwater
public areas and guestrooms. Instead of draining what water there is in
the quarry, it will be flooded to become a sunken artificial
lake. Two of the hotels floors housing guest rooms and a restaurant are
to be situated underwater. An artificial waterfall will plunge down in
front of the hotel's facade and into the quarry, at least, according to
the concept images. 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. There will also be sports
facilities and a ten-meter deep aquarium. Among other things, the hotel
will feature an extreme sports center for activities like rock climbing
and bungee jumping will be cantilevered over the quarry.



The entire hotel is to be covered in a green roof, while the building will use geothermal energy for it’s electrical supply and heating. The
quarry will also provide a good source of heat control and shelter from
the environment.
“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.” said Martin Jochman.
The Shanghai Shimao Property Group has so far invested US$555 million into the entire resort, and hotel rooms are expected to start at $320
per night. The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2014 to early 2015.








View of the pit where a five-star hotel will be built in Tianmashan, Songjiang, Shanghai, China, 13 March 2012.