Skyboat Kafé, Utsiktsplattform by Xin Yuan

Skyboat Kafé, Utsiktsplattform by Xin Yuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award i Guld in Arkitektur-, Byggnads- och Konstruktionsdesign Competition Category.

GuldArkitektur· 2022

Skyboat Kafé, Utsiktsplattform

by Xin Yuan

Client: XinY structural consultants

A' Design Award i Guld Winner in Arkitektur 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 Kafé, Utsiktsplattform

Skyboat är en tvåvåningsbyggnad placerad ovanför ett 613 meter djupt slukhål i Leye, Kina. Hotellrum är placerade på bottenvåningen, ett kafé på första våningen och en utsiktsplattform på taket. Plattformen inkluderar ett beträdbart glasgolv som mäter 10 gånger 12,5 meter. Byggnaden spänner över den smala passagen vid slukhålets topp och kragar ut 34 meter respektive 22 meter på vardera sidan av bergskammen. En låg tyngdpunkt gör att konstruktionen kan balansera sig själv. Endast fem stöd används, vilket begränsar skadorna på den lokala växtligheten.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Guld

Skyboat Kafé, Utsiktsplattform är vinnare av A' Design Award i Guld, ett oerhört prestigefyllt erkännande som tilldelas förstklassiga, underbara och enastående designverk. Guldvinnare är utomordentligt innovativa, visionära och glamoröst bländande skapelser som speglar sina formgivares briljans, visdom och skicklighet. Skyboat Kafé, Utsiktsplattform förväntas vara en högt prisad, trendsättande och monumental uppfinning som levererar oöverträffat värde. Detta vinnande verk i A' Design Award i Guld är ett spektakulärt, respekterat projekt som i hög grad gagnar och flyttar fram gränserna för konst, vetenskap, design och teknik. Skyboat Kafé, Utsiktsplattform skapar intensiva känslor av längtan, väcker passion, uppmuntrar kreativitet och fascinerar oss.

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