The Crystal Tower is part of the Raffles City complex. The sky-bridge-like structure sits 250 meters above ground and includes a park and a glass-bottomed observation deck. With only 3,000 tickets available per day, the attraction quickly sold out during its opening weekend.
The entire Raffles City Chongqing project, designed by Moshe Safdie, consists of eight skyscrapers. In a similar style to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, four of the eight towers support a horizontal structure called the Crystal, which rises 250 meters above ground.
Crystal – 300 metres long and weighing 12,000 tonnes – was pulled to the height with technical assistance from the Arup group
The journey to the Exploration Deck on the world’s tallest horizontal skyscraper begins on the first floor, where a National Geographic exhibit details the history and development of Chongqing. Visitors can then “shoot” to the top of the building in just 50 seconds and walk through another exciting exhibit depicting future life on Mars.
The cost to get to the Exploration Deck is about $25.
Next is a miniature park where you can walk through a green area suspended in mid-air to enter the Exploration Deck. Here, you will stand on an adventurous glass floor, with a panoramic view of the city below, as well as see the beautiful sights where the nearby Yangtze and Jialing rivers converge.
In the coming months, Crystal will open a club with 2 swimming pools, restaurants and bars.
After opening, Crystal will plant up to 120 trees, some up to 9 meters high.
In the coming months, Crystal will open a clubhouse with two pools, restaurants and bars. These are currently under construction and, once completed, will significantly expand the space of the new high-rise.
