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Construction of an Amazing Underground Hotel in Songjiang Begins
Amazing Planet ^ | 10/31/12 | James Holloway via Amazing Planet

Posted on 11/18/2012 8:36:39 AM PST by Rebelbase

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.

Artist’s concept of the Songjiang Hotel

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.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; hotel; shanghai; underground
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Visonary.
1 posted on 11/18/2012 8:36:41 AM PST by Rebelbase
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To: Rebelbase

Yes, I’d stay there. But not in that space saucer looking thingy on the right. Looks like too much trust put in a tooky little support beam to me...


2 posted on 11/18/2012 8:42:30 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: Rebelbase

Something like that.


3 posted on 11/18/2012 8:42:43 AM PST by bigheadfred
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To: Rebelbase

Ya, What could go wrong with that concept?

S’ok...there are floaties in every night stand....


4 posted on 11/18/2012 8:46:50 AM PST by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: Rebelbase
I've visited Guangzhou,a major Chinese city a hour or so north of Hong Kong,twice in my life.Once in 1980 and the second time in 2010.In '80 the streets were full of bicycles,thousands of them,and an occasional truck or bus.The building were low,drab and appeared to be falling down.In 2010 there were traffic jams (Toyotas,Lexus,Kias..and Buicks,surprisingly) and there were a number of huge,modern glass skyscrapers.

All that thanks to the fact that Americans,Europeans and Japanese wanted to pay $20 less for their DVD players.

5 posted on 11/18/2012 8:47:50 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (Benghazi: What Did Baraq Know And When Did He Know It?)
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To: G Larry
Ya, What could go wrong with that concept?

Well,China's "Earthquake Central" for one thing.

6 posted on 11/18/2012 8:49:53 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (Benghazi: What Did Baraq Know And When Did He Know It?)
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To: Rebelbase

Such a dream could never be realized in modern America, the former nation of dreams.


7 posted on 11/18/2012 8:50:06 AM PST by Baynative
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To: Rebelbase

I’ve been advocating this kind of stuff with my friends in the mining business for over a decade: Shape the land to be interesting and beautiful. Hire a watercolor artist to arrange the piles of tailings by color. It wouldn’t cost that much and it makes the mine an asset when it’s done.


8 posted on 11/18/2012 8:53:46 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The Slave Party: advancing indenture since 1787.)
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To: Gay State Conservative
All that thanks to the fact that Americans,Europeans and Japanese wanted to pay $20 less for their DVD players.

OTOH, maybe we could learn from them. If we tried free-market capitalism for twenty years, imagine what this country could do.

9 posted on 11/18/2012 8:54:39 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: Carry_Okie

They could have made one heck of soccer stadium out that.


10 posted on 11/18/2012 8:57:58 AM PST by Rebelbase
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To: Baynative
Built in under 3 and a half years with no winter construction.

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11 posted on 11/18/2012 9:00:57 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Rebelbase

LOL, Good luck getting any wind for those sail boats:)


12 posted on 11/18/2012 9:04:11 AM PST by Cold Heart
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To: Gay State Conservative
Buick drove around the world in 1925 and was the first car most Chinese had ever seen, in 1929 Buick opened it's first Chinese sales office in Shanghai...
13 posted on 11/18/2012 9:07:03 AM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: cripplecreek

Do they have to shut that bridge down in high winds?


14 posted on 11/18/2012 9:07:18 AM PST by Rebelbase
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To: Rebelbase

Very high winds will shut it down but mostly they use a variable speed limit according to wind speeds. The last time I crossed it wind speeds were about 25mph at ground level and the speed limit for trucks was 35mph. 300 feet above the surface winds are considerably stronger.


15 posted on 11/18/2012 9:14:30 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Rebelbase

Hope they have a huge bilge pump in there somewhere.


16 posted on 11/18/2012 9:17:44 AM PST by caltaxed
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To: Cold Heart
My thought exactly! The sail boats look ridiculous in the small area they have to sail in, if that is possible and the whole design wreaks Disney-esk!

Good design does not look like a theme park, as this does!

17 posted on 11/18/2012 9:20:15 AM PST by classified
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To: Rebelbase

A world with too much time on its hands.

Time for a massive reset.


18 posted on 11/18/2012 9:24:41 AM PST by steve86 (Acerbic by Nature, not Nurture™)
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To: Gay State Conservative

“All that thanks to the fact that Americans,Europeans and Japanese wanted to pay $20 less for their DVD players. “

Let me rephrase that: “All that thanks to the fact that Americans didn’t have the stomach to take on the unions, the tort system, excessive environmental regulations, and excessive workplace regulations, so they chose to shift production to China instead.”


19 posted on 11/18/2012 9:25:03 AM PST by BobL (You can live each day only once. You can waste a few, but don't waste too many.)
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To: cripplecreek

I bet there are times when the wind gets screaming in that location.


20 posted on 11/18/2012 9:27:59 AM PST by Rebelbase
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