safdie architects captures construction progress of raffles city chongqing development

safdie architects has released a time-lapse video that documents construction progress of a major residential project in southwest china. ‘raffles city chongqing’ has been designed as a riverside landmark that comprises a four-storey shopping mall and eight towers for residential, office, serviced residence, and hotel use. the development also includes the country’s tallest residential tower. the project seeks to offer new models for urban living, with prominent communal areas and amenities and access to open air, light, and green space.

all images and video courtesy of safdie architects

in december 2017, construction crews began lifting the ‘sky conservatory’ — a 280-meter-long structure linking four of the development’s towers — into place. suspended 250 meters above ground, the moshe safdie-designed conservatory will feature a viewing deck, infinity pool, sky walk, and dining experiences, offering unexpected vantage points of the city, and integrating the public realm across the building’s upper levels. lifting the conservatory was a feat of engineering, which involved hoisting the 10,000 square meter platform in sections.

the development includes china’s tallest residential tower

raffles city is located in the heart of the chongqing’s densely populated urban infrastructure. the site consists of a podium with six above-grade stories that include 200,000 square meters of retail space, as well as subway, bus, and ferry terminals that connect and incorporate the city’s existing organization. a public park and private residential gardens above the podium draw green space into the urban center, and provide access to the rest of the city. eight towers rise from the podium with residences, offices, serviced apartments, and hotels. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

read more about the project on designboom here