Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform by Xin Yuan

Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform by Xin Yuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award in Gold in Architektur-, Gebäude- und Bauwerksdesign Competition Category.

GoldArchitektur· 2022

Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform

by Xin Yuan

Client: XinY structural consultants

A' Design Award in Gold Winner in Architektur Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #137741

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform

Skyboat ist ein zweigeschossiges Gebäude, das über einer 613 Meter tiefen Doline in Leye, China, errichtet wurde. Im Erdgeschoss befinden sich Hotelzimmer, im ersten Obergeschoss ein Café und auf dem Dach eine Aussichtsplattform. Die Plattform verfügt über einen begehbaren Glasboden mit den Maßen 10 mal 12,5 Meter. Das Gebäude überspannt den engen Durchgang am oberen Rand der Doline und kragt 34 Meter beziehungsweise 22 Meter zu beiden Seiten des Bergkamms aus. Ein niedriger Schwerpunkt ermöglicht es der Konstruktion, sich selbst auszubalancieren. Es werden lediglich fünf Auflager verwendet, wodurch die Beeinträchtigung der heimischen Vegetation begrenzt wird.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Gold

Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform ist Gewinner des A' Design Award in Gold, einer überaus prestigeträchtigen Anerkennung für erstklassige, wunderbare und herausragende Designs. Gold-Gewinner sind äußerst innovative, visionäre und glamourös blendende Schöpfungen, die das Genie, die Weisheit und die Meisterschaft ihrer Designer widerspiegeln. Von Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform wird erwartet, dass es eine hochgepriesene, trendsetzende und monumentale Erfindung ist, die beispiellosen Mehrwert liefert. Dieses mit dem A' Design Award in Gold prämierte Design ist ein spektakuläres, respektiertes Projekt, das den Grenzen von Kunst, Wissenschaft, Design und Technologie in hohem Maße zugutekommt und sie voranbringt. Skyboat Café, Aussichtsplattform erzeugt intensive Gefühle des Verlangens, weckt Leidenschaft, ermutigt zur Kreativität und fasziniert uns.

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