Raffles City Chongqing Buildings, CapitaLand Chinese Project, Tall Architecture Images

Raffles City Chongqing

New Architectural Development for CapitaLand in China design by architect Moshe Safdie

21 May 2021

Design: Safdie Architects with P & T Group International Ltd

Location: Chongqing City, south west China

Raffles City Chongqing CTBUH Award

CapitaLand’s Raffles City Chongqing scores hat-trick at the 2021 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Awards

Named Overall Category Winner for Best Tall Building Award (300 to 399 metres) and

clinched Award of Excellence in the categories of Structural Engineering Award and Fire & Risk Engineering Award

Raffles City Chongqing buildings:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

Singapore, 21 May 2021 – Raffles City Chongqing, Singapore’s and CapitaLand’s single largest development in China, has scored a hat-trick at the prestigious 2021 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Awards. It was named the Overall Category Winner for Best Tall Building Award (300 to 399 metres); and the winner of the Award of Excellence in two other categories: Structural Engineering Award and Fire & Risk Engineering Award. With three accolades, Raffles City Chongqing is one of the most awarded developments from Asia at the event.

Inside Raffles City Chongqing’s The Crystal Exploration Deck, 5 June 2020 (Video credit: Chongqing Yuzhong Media Convergence Center 渝中区融媒体中心)
Film on YouTube

Mr Vincent Wong, Managing Director, Chongqing, CapitaLand China, said: “An architectural and engineering marvel destined for the books, Raffles City Chongqing is CapitaLand’s largest and most complex Raffles City development to date. The recognition received by Raffles City Chongqing at the 2021 CTBUH Awards is a testament to CapitaLand’s strong track record in real estate development and the quality of our Raffles City brand of integrated developments.

RCCQ The Crystal aerial view:

photograph : Shaofeng Architectural Photography

Completing this megastructure in 2019 after six years of construction, we had relied on CapitaLand’s over three decades of experience in building integrated developments and more than two decades of local knowledge in China to handle the project’s monumental scale, elaborate design and challenging site conditions. We also counted on the intense collaboration among our supportive team of leading local and international consultants, which deployed state-of-the-art technologies and developed new techniques to deliver the bold and unprecedented architecture of Raffles City Chongqing.”

RCCQ The Crystal:

photo : Shaofeng Architectural Photography

He added: “CapitaLand is honoured to be recognised by industry experts for the contributions of Raffles City Chongqing towards advancing tall buildings and the urban environment. We share these accolades with our talented in-house project development team as well as the over 50 local and international design, construction and engineering firms that worked closely alongside CapitaLand in the development of Raffles City Chongqing.”

Raffles City Chongqing’s award-winning design takes the form of powerful sail surging forward on the historic Chaotianmen site where Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. The architectural marvel is a sight to behold regardless the time of day:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

Images 3 and 4: The Crystal is a 300-metre-long enclosed sky bridge nestled above four of the 250-metre-tall skyscrapers and links to two adjacent skyscrapers by cantilevered bridges. The Crystal houses a clubhouse, a Sky Garden with restaurants and bars, as well as the highest glass-bottomed viewing gallery across Western China.

The Crystal sky bridge represents an engineering feat. To erect efficiently, the sky bridge had to be divided into nine segments and assembled in place. The hoisting of the three middle steel segments – each weighing up to 1,100 tons – to the height of 250 metres marked a world first:

Raffles City Chongqing Award photos / information received 210521 from CapitaLand

Previously on e-architect:

5 June 2020
Raffles City Chongqing The Crystal Exploration Deck

image courtesy of CapitaLand

One of the year’s most eagerly awaited attractions in China, the 250-metre-high Exploration Deck Viewing Gallery (Exploration Deck), a star feature of The Crystal sky bridge at Raffles City Chongqing, opened to the public last weekend.

Raffles City Chongqing The Crystal Exploration Deck

14 Sep 2019

Raffles City Chongqing Photos

Design: Safdie Architects with P & T Group International Ltd

Location: Chongqing City, southwestern China

Crowds gathered in eager anticipation to be among the first to visit Raffles City Chongqing on Friday, 6 September 2019:

Raffles City Chongqing News

CapitaLand welcomes over 900,000 shoppers to Raffles City Chongqing during opening weekend

The 235,000 sqm mall is part of the Group’s largest Raffles City development at 1.12 million sqm

The development includes The Crystal – the world’s highest sky bridge

Following the successful launch of Funan and Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore in 1H 2019, CapitaLand has added another feat to its track record of creating iconic integrated developments with the opening of Raffles City Chongqing in China.

The largest mall to open in Chongqing this year and the latest must-visit destination in the bustling metropolis, Raffles City Chongqing welcomed strong shopper traffic of over 900,000 during its opening weekend:

The first component in the 1.12 million square metre (sq m) megastructure to welcome the public was the 235,000 sq m shopping mall, which launched on 6 September 2019, Friday, with a 95% committed occupancy. About 40% of the over 400 international and local brands are new-to-market brands, flagships or new concepts. The largest mall to open in Chongqing this year and the latest must-visit destination in the bustling metropolis, Raffles City Chongqing registered a strong shopper traffic of over 900,000 during its opening weekend.

Shoppers enjoyed a slew of performances and experiential offerings at the mall to celebrate its opening, including performances, China’s first AstroBoy FLY CITY exhibition and a specially curated 1.2-metre children’s art gallery:

Raffles City Chongqing is located in Chaotianmen, a historic site referred to as the crown jewel of Chongqing that offers magnificent views of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers converging. It is Singapore’s and CapitaLand’s single largest development in China at RMB24 billion (S$4.8 billion). In addition to the retail podium, the integrated development comprises Ascott Raffles City Chongqing serviced residence, InterContinental Raffles City Chongqing hotel, Grade A office space and luxury apartments housed within eight skyscrapers.

Mr Lucas Loh, President, China, CapitaLand Group, said: “The opening of Raffles City Chongqing marks a new milestone in CapitaLand’s contribution towards and benefitting from China’s urbanisation push. As the ninth Raffles City development to turn operational, it is by far our largest and most complex integrated development. Seven years in the making, Raffles City Chongqing is a megastructure that melds astounding architectural design with sustainable urban planning. The development was purposefully built to spearhead the renewal of the Chaotianmen riverfront district with world-class live-work-play amenities and improved accessibility. We are confident that Raffles City Chongqing will catalyse new opportunities to fulfil Chongqing’s global city aspirations.”

Shoppers at Jiwu by Suning, an online to offline retail store in Raffles City Chongqing:

Mr Chin Phei Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Management, China, CapitaLand, said: “As the representation of CapitaLand’s new-gen malls in China, Raffles City Chongqing combines experiential retail concepts with digitalisation to excite and engage shoppers. Value-added services such as augmented reality navigation, restaurant booking and carpark reservation are supported by the CapitaStar app. In addition to curating an attractive tenant mix, we have also created public spaces with regular art and heritage showcases for the public to enjoy, learn and discover. Raffles City Chongqing is at once a showcase of local culture to the world and a beacon of international sophistication in the aspiring global city; in short, a destination for both residents and tourists.”

29 July 2019

Raffles City Chongqing Opening

CapitaLand achieves 95% retail leasing for Raffles City Chongqing ahead of opening in September 2019

Iconic megastructure to welcome shoppers with more than 400 brands

CapitaLand has achieved 95% leasing rate for the retail component of Raffles City Chongqing ahead of its highly anticipated opening in September 2019.

The front view of Raffles City Chongqing. Inspired by the region’s thousand years of waterway transportation culture, Raffles City Chongqing’s award-winning design takes the form of powerful sail surging forward on the historic Chaotianmen site where, where the blue of the Jialing River meets the Yangtze River’s brown waters:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

The 235,000-square metre (sq m) shopping mall, almost three times the size of ION Orchard1 in Singapore, will be the first component to begin operations in the iconic megastructure spanning a total of 1.12 million sq m in construction floor area. The five-storey mall will house more than 400 brands, comprising a mix of local specialty brands and well-known international brands. Set to inject vibrancy to Chongqing’s retail scene, about 40% of the brands at the mall will be new-to-market brands, flagships or new concepts.

Mr Lucas Loh, President, China, CapitaLand Group, said: “Building on the strong track record of CapitaLand’s ‘Raffles City’ brand of integrated developments, we are pleased to achieve robust leasing commitment for the retail component of Raffles City Chongqing. China’s retail sales continue to grow at one of the fastest rates in the world, buoyed by rising disposable incomes and government initiatives to boost domestic consumption.

A profile shot of Raffles City Chongqing across the riverbank, with The Crystal nestled above four 250-metre towers:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

As a megacity with a population of more than 30 million people and one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world, Chongqing is well-positioned to attract local and international retailers. We are delighted that Raffles City Chongqing’s strategic location, iconic design and brand premium have combined to make it a location of choice for brands seeking growth in China.”

Mr Chin Phei Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Management, China, CapitaLand, said: “An embodiment of Chongqing’s global city ambitions, Raffles City Chongqing will introduce a world-class retail experience to the city while showcasing the best of local cultures to the world. The new-gen mall will offer personalised customer experiences that include guided tours and guest relations, underpinned by CapitaLand’s CapitaStar app that offers value-added services such as augmented reality interaction and navigation, mobile payment and restaurant booking. It will also leverage analytics and sensors to help retailers gain consumer insights and optimise offerings.”

A side profile of Raffles City Chongqing, an iconic megastructure that is set to open its retail component in September 2019:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

Photos: CapitaLand

25 Feb 2019

Raffles City Chongqing Design

The Crystal – the world’s highest sky bridge

Design: Safdie Architects with P & T Group International Ltd

Location: Chongqing City, southwest China

Raffles City Chongqing

CapitaLand marks topping out of Raffles City Chongqing with structural completion of one of the world’s highest sky bridges Mall within megastructure to open by 2H 2019 with 450 shops, including flagship stores of China retail icons – NIO, CGV, Yanjiyou and Ole’.

Project design by world-famous architect Moshe Safdie, based in Boston, MA, USA.

The last piece of The Crystal’s curtain wall being hoisted into place:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

Singapore, 25 February 2019 – CapitaLand has successfully topped out the eighth and final skyscraper of Raffles City Chongqing as the Group enters the final lap of preparation works to open the highly anticipated 1.12-million-square-metre (sq m) megastructure in 2H 2019. This achievement follows the structural completion of the development’s 250-m-high sky bridge – The Crystal, which enjoys the distinction as the world’s highest sky bridge linking six of Raffles City Chongqing’s eight skyscrapers.

Film on YouTube

Mr Lucas Loh, President (China & Investment Management), CapitaLand Group, said: “The successful topping out of Raffles City Chongqing represents a new milestone in CapitaLand’s track record of building well-designed integrated spaces. It demonstrates our multi-faceted capabilities in delivering a vertically-built riverfront urban district seamlessly integrated with a major transportation hub comprising ferry, subway and bus stations. After six years of construction using state-of-the-art engineering technologies, we are proud to present in Raffles City Chongqing an iconic architectural form resembling a powerful sail surging forward on the historic Chaotianmen site. Conceived as a landmark urban renewal project to power generations of economic growth, the megastructure is on track to set sail with Chongqing’s global city ambitions from 2H 2019.”

A side view of Raffles City Chongqing resembling an image of a powerful sail surging forward:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

“Upon Raffles City Chongqing’s structural completion, we are now focusing on the interior fitout works, including transplanting trees to enliven The Crystal sky bridge, which will feature the tallest observation deck across Western China. Positioned as a must-visit destination for local residents as well as domestic and overseas travellers, Raffles City Chongqing has been garnering strong response from our customers. To date, Raffles City Chongqing has launched three residential towers with a total of 772 units, out of which 72% have been sold. The development’s five-storey shopping mall will house some 450 retailers offering a great variety of fashion, dining, lifestyle and entertainment options. We will continue to engage homebuyers, retailers and companies who are keen to be a part of this prestigious development.”

Anchor retail tenants committed to date include Chinese electric vehicle company NIO, which will open its largest NIO House in Chongqing at Raffles City. More than just a showroom, the 1,500-sq m NIO House also serves as an exclusive clubhouse for NIO car owners. Leading movie theatre chain CGV will operate its national flagship at Raffles City Chongqing. Spanning a massive 5,600 sq m, the multiplex will feature state-of-the-art screens with superior sound quality. Popular bookstore chain Yanjiyou will open a regional flagship at the mall, packed with a lifestyle café and other creative and experiential offerings catering to bibliophiles. In addition, well-known purveyor of fine foods Ole’ will operate a gourmet supermarket with a food hall serving a wide range of fresh produce and international specialties.

Film on YouTube

Fulfilling its role as an advocate of Chongqing’s rich local culture with more than 3,000 years of history, the mall will feature a dedicated zone to promote authentic Made in Chongqing products such as local delicacies, handicrafts and souvenirs. This is in line with the wishes of local residents, who provided enthusiastic feedback about the development during the popular preview tours conducted by the Raffles City Chongqing project team.

Occupying 9.2 hectares of site area, Raffles City Chongqing brings together a 235,000-sq m shopping mall, 150,000-sq m of Grade A office space, about 1,400 residential apartments, Ascott Raffles City Chongqing serviced residence and InterContinental Raffles City Chongqing hotel. It has a total construction floor area of 1.12 million sq m and gross floor area (excluding car park) of about 817,000 sq m. The development is strategically located on Chaotianmen at the confluence of Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Yuzhong District. It is also sited at the nexus of three Central Business Districts, namely Jiefangbei, Jiangbeizui and Danzishi.

The front view of Raffles City Chongqing with The Crystal nestled above four 250-metre towers:

image courtesy of CapitaLand

Raffles City Chongqing comprises eight skyscrapers. Two of these are 350-m-high supertall skyscrapers known as Chongqing’s tallest buildings; one of which also holds the honour of China’s tallest residential tower. The other six skyscrapers are about 250 m tall each. Known as Raffles City Chongqing’s ninth “horizontal skyscraper”, The Crystal is an enclosed sky bridge nestled above four of the 250-m-tall skyscrapers and links two adjacent skyscrapers by cantilevered bridges. Measuring 300 m in length, 32.5 m in width and 26.5 m in height, it is the world’s highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers. Designed by worldrenowned architect Moshe Safdie, Raffles City Chongqing’s form is inspired by the historic images of great Chinese sailing vessels and pays tribute to Chongqing’s noble past as a trading centre.

Raffles City Chongqing has received an Honourable Distinction for the China Tall Building Innovation Award. It is also Chongqing city’s largest development to be accorded the LEEDCS pre-certification (Gold Level) by the United States Green Building Council, which recognises best-in-class building strategies and practices.

Film on YouTube

The Crystal – Raffles City Chongqing

Known as Raffles City Chongqing’s crowning glory and the development’s ninth “horizontal skyscraper”, The Crystal is an enclosed sky bridge nestled above four 250-m-tall skyscrapers and links two adjacent towers by cantilevered bridges. Measuring 300 m in length, 32.5 m in width and 26.5 m in height, it is the world’s highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers.

Envisaged as the centre of civic activities where locals and visitors from around the world converge in Chongqing, The Crystal houses a rich array of amenities, including a viewing gallery, lush gardens, an infinity pool and restaurants. When darkness falls, it transforms into a giant light beam, illuminating the night sky with a pulsating light show. To ensure the public’s year-round enjoyment of The Crystal’s facilities, design provisions such as air-conditioning, have also been catered for.

The Crystal is made up of a continuous steel structure weighing 12,000 tons and enclosed with a ring comprising about 3,000 pieces of glass panels and close to 5,000 aluminium panels. To erect efficiently, the steel structure is first divided into nine segments – four segments that are built in-situ above the four towers; three middle segments suspended between the four towers that are prefabricated on ground and hoisted into place by hydraulic strand jacks; and two cantilever segments that are assembled in short sections from the two ends of the rightmost and leftmost towers. Hoisting the three middle steel segments of The Crystal – each weighing up to 1,100 tons – to the designated height of 250 m marks a world first.

Fun facts 1) At 300 m long, The Crystal is longer than Singapore’s tallest building laid on its side. This is also more than three times the height of the Statue of Liberty in the United States, which measures 93 m, laid on its side. 2) The Crystal’s continuous steel structure weighing 12,000 tons is equivalent to the total weight of France’s Eiffel Tower. 3) The Crystal will be home to close to 120 trees, which will measure about 9 m in height when they have matured. 4) The Crystal houses two pools – a 50 m x 8 m main pool and an adjoining 10 m x 8 m children’s pool.

Raffles City Chongqing, Chjina – Building Information

Location: Chaotianmen, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China

Description: An integrated development with eight towers comprising: – a 73-storey residential tower; – a 65-storey office-and-hotel tower; – two 47-storey residential towers; – two 46-storey residential towers; – a 43-storey office-and-serviced residence tower; – a 40-storey office tower; and – an enclosed sky bridge nestled above four of the towers and links two adjacent towers by cantilevered bridges. It measures 300 m in length, 32.5 m in width and 26.5 m in height.

Sitting below these towers are: – a 5-storey shopping mall (L1 to L5) with an open-access roof garden; – a lower ground level comprising a bus terminal and a visitor centre; and – 3 levels of basement car park (B1 to B3).

Site area 9.2 hectares
Construction floor area 1.12 million sq m
Gross floor area (excluding car park) 817,000 sq m

Number of car park spaces (for the entire development) 3,200 lots
Number of shops About 450
Developer / owner CapitaLand and Ascendas-Singbridge
Estimated completion date Opening in phases from 2H 2019
Project development expenditure RMB24 billion (about S$4.8 billion)

Key consultants

Architects:
Safdie Architects
P & T Group International Ltd

Quantity surveyor:
Rider Levett Bucknall Limited

Mechanical, electrical & plumbing engineer:
WSP (formerly Parsons Brinckerhoff Consultants (Pte) Ltd)

Structural engineers:
Arup International Consultants (Shanghai) Co, Ltd.

Chinese translation:
• Mr Lucas Loh, President (China & Investment Management), CapitaLand Group – 罗臻毓, 凯德集团总裁（中国区及投资管理）

• Raffles City Chongqing – 重庆来福士

• The Crystal – 水晶连廊

Raffles City Chongqing images / information received 250219

Moshe Safdie Architect

Location: Chongqing City, south west China