Those looking for impressive feats of architecture can increasingly indulge in China. Besides the tallest bridge and the second tallest skyscraper, the tallest aerial bridge may soon be added to the list. This horizontal skyscraper designed by Safdie Architects, is currently under construction in southwest China.
Developer CapitaLand named the horizontal skyscraper the Conservatory. Its dimensions are impressive at 300m long. The curved structure is supported at a height of 250 m by four tower with different uses, including offices, flat, shops and hotels. An adjacent set of towers with a height of 350 m are connected to the Conservatory by a pair of small air bridges. In total, the project comprises as many as eight towers.
With a swimming pool, gardens and observation points, the Conservatory's interior impresses as much as its exterior. Built around a 12,000-tonne steel structure, the interior is enclosed by 3,200 glass sections and 4,800 aluminium panels. Because such high-rise buildings require specific knowledge to mitigate the effects of strong winds or seismic activity on the structure, as well as to be able to build the horizontal tower skyscraper at a height of 300 m, the expertise of engineering firm Arup is used.
For efficient construction, the steel structure will be divided into nine segments, four of which will be built on site above the four towers. The three middle sections between the four towers will be prefabricated on the ground and then brought into position using hydraulic jacks, while two cantilever sections will be assembled in short sections from the right and left towers.
The Conservatory's steel structure was completed by the middle of this year. To this, the glass elements will be attached. The building is expected to open to the public in 2019. The Raffles City Chongqing project, of which the Conservatory is a part, meets the LEED Gold standard, a standard for the energy efficiency of buildings. This standard is achieved in part by making the most efficient use of shade , a smart irrigation system, recycling as much construction waste as possible and using partially recycled building materials. Want to know how the idea became reality? The video below gives a nice impression.
