World’s First Underground Hotel built in Quarry

CHINA: Inter Continental Shanghai Wonderland is the world’s first underground hotel built in an abandoned quarry.

A hotel that sinks into an abandoned quarry in China opened its doors on Thursday.

The 17-floor hotel is at just an hour’s drive from the center of Shanghai. The room charges start at 3,394 yuan ($490) a night.

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With an economy boom in China, a number of bold architectural designs are springing up. The hotel to it one side embraces thepit wall with a waterfall flowing down in the opposite side.

The USD288 million project includes a theme part as well.

Chen Xiaoxiang, the chief engineer with the real estate giant, Shimao Property, said

“Why do we say there is nothing in the world that compares to the quarry hotel project?”

“It’s a project that’s completely new, a project we have never encountered before.

“There were no references, cases or experience wecould learn from to solve all the difficulties,” he said.

Problems and Challenges Faced by Engineers

The engineers encountered many problems and challenges. Nearby river overflew into the quarry due to heavy rainfall. It happened in 2013 before the construction was started

Chen Xiaoxiang said it would have been devastating if something like that had occurred after construction was complete. This issue has been dealt with now. Embankment built around the edges of the pit willprevent anything like that happening in future.

A pump house is used to help regulate water levels.

Waterfall is most eye-catching feature of the project. Rock climbing is another feature for the adventurous ones.

Martin Jochman, a British architect associated with project since it started 12 years ago said

“This was a totally unique idea, to really do something special with a site that was forgotten and nobody knew what to do with, and to give it new life

“I never lost my belief that it would be done one day, but it is here now, and I am really excited and amazed by the whole thing.”