3.9K 
Singapore-based CapitaLand Limited has set a new world record in Chongqing, where a megaproject by Moshe Safdie is taking shape along the city's Chaotianmen riverfront. The defining element of the 1.12 million-square-metre Raffles City Chongqing development is an accordion-shaped "horizontal skyscraper" that sits atop four of the 250-metre-tall towers in the complex, making it the project with the highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers.
At 300 metres in length, 30 metres in width and 22.5 metres in height, The Conservatory is now taking shape high above the busy streets of Chongqing. The three middle sections of the sprawling space, designed to become the centre of civic life in the city, have now been hoisted into position. A video posted by CapitaLand shows the intricate process in action:
The Conservatory connects to the project's tallest buildings via cantilevered bridges. The carefully designed space will include a vast surfeit of amenities, including an observation deck, sky gardens, an infinity pool, and a beverage zone.
The Conservatory's continuous steel structure weighs 12,000 tons and is enclosed with a ring composed of 3,200 pieces of glass and 4,800 aluminum panels. The structure is divided into nine segments, with four segments built atop the four towers in-situ, three middle segments prefabricated on the ground and hoisted into their suspended place by hydraulic strand jacks, and two cantilevered segments built in short sections off the edges of the rightmost and leftmost buildings.
"Raffles City Chongqing is by far the largest and most complex integrated development that CapitaLand has undertaken," said Lim Ming Yan, President and Group CEO of CapitaLand Limited. "Erecting The Conservatory marks the culmination of five years of construction progress and a grand milestone in outlining Raffles City Chongqing's image of a powerful sail surging forward, as it prepares to welcome the world in 2019.
"The hoisting of The Conservatory is not only a significant moment for Raffles City Chongqing, it marks a global milestone in the field of architecture and engineering. Some of the world’s most advanced construction and engineering techniques have been deployed to install this megastructure on Chaotianmen, known as the crown jewel of Chongqing."
Raffles City Chongqing broke ground in September 2012 and five towers in the eight-tower development have topped out so far, including a 350-metre-tall skyscraper that takes the titles of Chongqing's tallest building and China's tallest residential tower.
The 9.2-hectare site gives way to a 230,000-square-metre shopping mall, 160,000-square-metres of Grade A office space, 1,400 residential apartments, a serviced residence and a luxury hotel. The development's office component is expected to begin tenancy by the end of the year, with the entire project scheduled for a phased opening from 2019 onward.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
