Skyboat 咖啡厅、观景平台 by Xin Yuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award 金奖 in 建筑与结构设计 Competition Category.

金建筑· 2022

Skyboat 咖啡厅、观景平台

by Xin Yuan

Client: XinY structural consultants

A' Design Award 金奖 Winner in 建筑 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 咖啡厅、观景平台

"天空之舟"是一座两层建筑,坐落于中国乐业一处深达613米的天坑之上。首层设置客房,二层为咖啡厅,屋顶则辟为观景平台。平台上铺设了一片10米×12.5米的可步行玻璃地面。建筑横跨天坑顶部狭窄的通道,并向山脊两侧分别悬挑34米和22米。较低的重心使结构得以自我平衡。整座建筑仅采用五处支撑点,最大限度地减少了对当地植被的破坏。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 金奖

Skyboat 咖啡厅、观景平台是 A' Design Award 金奖得主，这是授予一流、绝妙而杰出设计的极为崇高的认可。金奖得主是极具创新、极富远见且璀璨夺目的创作，反映出其设计师的天才、智慧与才干。预计Skyboat 咖啡厅、观景平台将成为一项备受赞誉、引领潮流、气势恢宏的发明，带来前所未有的价值。这件赢得 A' Design Award 金奖的设计是一个壮观而受人敬重的项目，极大地造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。Skyboat 咖啡厅、观景平台激起强烈的渴望，唤起激情，鼓励创造力，令我们着迷。

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