Skyboat Café, plateforme d'observation by Xin Yuan

Skyboat Café, plateforme d'observation by Xin Yuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award d'Or in Design d'Architecture, Bâtiment et Structure Competition Category.

OrArchitecture· 2022

Skyboat Café, plateforme d'observation

by Xin Yuan

Client: XinY structural consultants

A' Design Award d'Or Winner in Architecture Category

32,295

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, plateforme d'observation

Skyboat est un bâtiment de deux étages érigé au-dessus d'une doline de 613 mètres de profondeur à Leye, en Chine. Les chambres d'hôtel occupent le rez-de-chaussée, un café le premier étage et une plateforme panoramique le toit. Cette plateforme comprend un plancher de verre praticable de 10 mètres sur 12,5. Le bâtiment enjambe l'étroit passage situé au sommet de la doline et s'élance en porte-à-faux sur 34 mètres d'un côté et 22 mètres de l'autre de la crête montagneuse. Un centre de gravité bas permet à la structure de s'équilibrer d'elle-même. Seuls cinq appuis ont été employés, ce qui limite les dommages causés à la végétation locale.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Or

Skyboat Café, plateforme d'observation est lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or, une reconnaissance immensément prestigieuse décernée à des designs de premier ordre, merveilleux et remarquables. Les lauréats Or sont des créations extrêmement innovantes, visionnaires et d'un éclat glamour éblouissant, qui reflètent le génie, la sagesse et la maîtrise de leurs concepteurs. Skyboat Café, plateforme d'observation est censé être une invention très louée, avant-gardiste et monumentale, qui apporte une valeur sans précédent. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or est un projet spectaculaire et respecté qui sert grandement l'art, la science, le design et la technologie et en repousse les limites. Skyboat Café, plateforme d'observation crée de vifs sentiments de désir, éveille la passion, encourage la créativité et nous fascine.

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