Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza by Xin Yuan

Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza by Xin Yuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Zahabu in Igishushanyo cy'Ubwubatsi Competition Category.

ZahabuUbwubatsi· 2022

Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza

by Xin Yuan

Client: XinY structural consultants

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Zahabu Winner in Ubwubatsi Category

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Colors

The Design

About Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza

Skyboat ni inyubako y'amagorofa abiri yubatswe hejuru y'umwobo w'ubujyakuzimu bwa metero 613 i Leye, mu Bushinwa. Ibyumba by'ihoteli biri ku igorofa rya hasi, kafe iri ku igorofa rya mbere, naho urubuga rwo kwitegereza ruri ku gisenge. Urwo rubuga rurimo hasi h'ikirahure hanyurwaho n'abantu hangana na metero 10 kuri 12.5. Iyi nyubako yambukiranya inzira nyabagendwa ifunganye iri hejuru y'uwo mwobo, kandi irengera hanze metero 34 na metero 22 kuri buri ruhande rw'umusozi. Uburemere bwayo bwibanda hasi bituma iyi nyubako yishyira ku burimbane ubwayo. Hakoreshejwe inkingi eshanu gusa, ibyo bikaba bigabanya kwangiza ibimera byo muri ako gace.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Zahabu

Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Zahabu, ishimwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo biri ku rwego rwa mbere, bitangaje kandi by'indashyikirwa. Abegukanye Zahabu ni ibihangano birimo udushya twinshi, bifite icyerekezo kandi bimurika, bigaragaza impano, ubwenge n'ubuhanga bw'ababihanze. Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza biteganyijwe ko izaba igihangano gishimwa cyane, gishyiraho imigendekere mishya kandi gitanga agaciro katigeze kaboneka. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Zahabu ni umushinga utangaje kandi wubahwa ugura imbibi z'ubuhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga. Skyboat Kafe, Ahantu ho Kwitegereza itera ibyifuzo bikomeye, ikangura ishyaka, ishishikariza guhanga kandi igatwara imitima yacu.

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