Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione by Xin Yuan

Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione by Xin Yuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award d'Oru in Disignu d'Architettura Competition Category.

OruArchitettura· 2022

Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione

by Xin Yuan

Client: XinY structural consultants

A' Design Award d'Oru Winner in Architettura Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione

Skyboat hè un edifiziu di dui piani situatu sopra à un abissu di 613 metri di prufundità in Leye, in Cina. E camere d'albergu sò piazzate à u pianterrenu, un caffè à u primu pianu è una piattaforma panoramica nantu à u tettu. A piattaforma include un pavimentu di vetru praticabile chì misura 10 per 12,5 metri. L'edifiziu attraversa u passaghju strettu à a cima di l'abissu è si sporge à sbalzu di 34 metri è di 22 metri da ogni latu di a cresta di a muntagna. Un centru di gravità bassu permette à a struttura di equilibrassi da per ella. Solu cinque appoghji sò aduprati, ciò chì limiteghja i danni à e piante lucale.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Oru

Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione hè un vincitore di u premiu A' Design Award d'Oru, una ricunniscenza immensamente prestigiosa attribuita à i disegni di prima categuria, maravigliosi è straordinarii. I vincitori d'Oru sò creazioni estremamente innuvatrici, assai visiunarie è lucentemente abbagliante chì riflettenu u geniu, a saviezza è l'abilità di i so disegnatori. Si aspetta chì Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione sia una invenzione assai elogiata, pionera di tendenze è monumentale, chì furnisce un valore senza precedente. Stu disegnu vincitore di u premiu A' Design Award d'Oru hè un prughjettu spettaculare è rispettatu chì benefizia assai è allarga i limiti di l'arte, di a scienza, di u disegnu è di a tecnulugia. Skyboat Caffè, Piattaforma d'Osservazione crea sentimenti intensi di disideriu, evoca passione, incuraghjisce a creatività è ci affascina.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The structure cantilevers 36m over the 613m deep sinkhole. The top of the sinkhole is extremely narrow which can only accommodate a small passageway. Skyboat is proposed to span over the passageway and cantilever out to each side of the mountain ridge. Similar to the tumbler toys, it is proposed to lower the structure centre of gravity and utilize the minimum area (10metres by 30metres), in which way, the self-balance of the structure is therefore achieved.
Dimensions & Packaging: two-storey building consisting of hotel rooms at the ground floor, a café at the first floor and a roof viewing platform which contains a 10metre-by-12.5metre walk-on glass floor. The building comprises a construction area of 495m2 and covers a plan dimension of 10metres by 80metres. Both ends of the building cantilevers out by 34metres and 22metres respectively. The total steel weight used is 438 tonne.
Tags: Skyboat, XinY, Glass floor, Cantilever, Leye, Dashiwei
Production Technology: There are only five supports proposed. This minimizes the damages to the local vegetation.

To protect the local plants and rivers, hanging falsework was used during the construction stage and to have the structural members installed by pieces.
Design Challenge: The structure cantilevers 36m over the 613m deep sinkhole. The top of the sinkhole（the site）is extremely narrow which can only accommodate a small passageway.
A long crack at the site indicates the site is not stable. Apart from grouting the existing crack, it is also proposed to have the key struts at each ends of the building inclining towards the ridge, the horizontal component forces from which then provided the embracing forces to the ridge and hence improved the stability of the site.
Research: The structural system and component arrangements were adapted to the force distribution, perfectly aligned with the elegant architectural geometry.
By increasing the key strut lengths, the pre-cambering of the front cantilever structure is then achieved, which can compensate the deflections under the dead loads and some of the live loads. This also protects the glazings from large deformations.
Inspiration: A big goose, a e tumbler toy.

The long crack at the top of the ridge indicates the site is not stable. Apart from grouting the existing crack, it is also proposed to have the key struts at each ends of the building inclining towards the ridge, the horizontal component forces from which then provided the embracing forces to the ridge and hence improved the stability of the site.
Project Duration: The project started on 2018 in Leye China and finished on 2019.
Operation Flow: Visitors can enjoy coffee in the beauty of nature, or they can walk on the glass floor above the 600-meter deep pit to experience the shock of their heartbeats.
Team Members: Structural Engineers:XinY & Yuanlizhu
Client:Guangxi Leye DashiWei
Architect:Zhong Huaying Studio
Codesign:LiLi & Shanghai ZhongJian Architectural Design
Principal Contractor:China Railway 25th Group 6th Company
Image Credits: Image#1: Photographer Li Jin, Yongheng,2019.
Image#2: Photographer Yongheng, Yongheng,2019.
Image#3: Photographer Yongheng, Yongheng,2019.
Image#4: Photographer Xin Yuan, XinY,2019.
Image#5: Photographer Yongheng, Yongheng,2019.
Video Credits: Yongheng