Green Hotel To Be Built Into Chinese Quarry

This hotel, designed by the Atkins groups, will be an outstanding example of incorporating a building into an existing site. The 400-bed resort is to be built near Shanghai in a 100 meter deep quarry. The quarry will provide a great deal protection from the weather, and reduce the energy needs of the hotel. The complex will contain restaurants, cafes, sport facilities, and will even include underwater public areas and guestrooms.

The hotel on track to open in May 2009. The hotel will also be covered with a green roof, and will use geothermal power for electricity and heat. 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. Via: Inhabitat and Green Roofs