this five-star hotel by JADE+QA is built into a disused quarry in china

this dramatically situated hotel in china occupies an 88-meter-deep disused quarry. the project, which was first unveiled in 2012 and opened in november 2018, was conceived as a ‘groundscraper’ with only two of the building’s levels above ground. a further 16 storeys cascade down the rugged quarry cliff face, while two additional levels are located beneath the water that sits at the bottom of the quarry. these ‘underwater’ spaces contain guest rooms and public areas such as restaurants and an underwater aquarium.

the hotel occupies an 88-meter-deep disused quarry near shanghai
image by blakstation & kevin | video by JADE+QA

in march 2013, JADE (the firm set up by the project’s original concept designer and director, martin jochman) and quarry associates (QA) signed a contract with the developer shimao, to complete the remaining design stages and coordinate the hotel’s construction. martin jochman was the original designer of the winning concept of the international competition held in 2006 and oversaw the scheme’s design development with atkins. for the past six years, his design studio, JADE+QA, has been responsible for completing all aspects of the design.

an aerial view of the vast development
image by JADE+QA

having completed the difficult task of stabilizing the cliff faces adjacent to the hotel wings in late 2015, the foundations and sub structure on the quarry floor level were completed in 2016. the steel structure within the quarry got underway in february 2016, with the internal fit out and the extensive landscape design completed in october 2018. now open to guests, the five star shimao wonderland intercontinental comprises a total of 337 rooms.

a total of 16 storeys cascade down the rugged quarry cliff face
image by blakstation & kevin

the hotel features a large conference center/ballroom together with water-based leisure facilities and swimming pools at the base of the quarry. externally, visitor facilities include an outdoor themed entertainment park and a cantilevered glass walkway. meanwhile, the hotel’s vertical circulation core is housed within a dramatic ‘glass waterfall’ that appears to cascade down the cliff face.

the hotel’s vertical circulation core is housed within a ‘glass waterfall’
image by JADE+QA

furthermore, the building’s mainly passive sustainable features take advantage of the scheme’s orientation, low profile, grass roof and unique microclimate caused by the thermal properties of the quarry rock mass and the quarry lake — cooling the structure in the summer and heating in the winter. the architects say that the utilization of a disused industrial quarry site makes an important contribution to the principles of sustainability in china.

a spa looks out onto the exposed rock of the former quarry
image by JADE+QA

the hotel includes an underwater restaurant 
image by JADE+QA

communal areas are found at the building’s lower levels
image by JADE+QA

leisure facilities and swimming pools are found at the base of the quarry
image by blakstation & kevin

the five star hotel opened in november 2018
image by blakstation & kevin

project info:

name: shimao wonderland intercontinental
location: songjiang , shanghai, china
developer: shimao group
operator: IHG – (intercontinental hotels group)
architect: martin jochman dip arch RIBA – studio JADE+QA (concept with atkins)
time scale: 2006 -2018
opened: november 15, 2018
building area: 62,171.9 sqm / 669,213 sqf
number of guestrooms: 337
number of floors: 2 above ground level, 16 below ground level, 2 under water