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The Crystal Tower is part of the Raffles City complex. This building, resembling a bridge spanning the sky, sits 250 meters above the ground and includes a park and a glass-floored observation deck. With only 3,000 tickets sold per day, the attraction quickly sold out during its opening weekend.
The entire Raffles City Chongqing project, designed by Moshe Safdie, comprises eight high-rise buildings. Following a style similar to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, four of the eight towers support a horizontal structure called the Crystal, situated 250 meters above ground level.
Crystal, 300 meters long and weighing 12,000 tons, was towed to the aforementioned height with technical assistance from the Arup corporation.
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 "launch" to the top of the skyscraper in just 50 seconds, and then walk through another fascinating exhibit depicting future life on Mars.
The cost to access the Exploration Deck is approximately $25.
Next is a miniature park, where you can cross a lush green area suspended in mid-air to enter the Exploration Deck. Here, you'll stand on a daring glass floor, with panoramic views of the city below, as well as stunning views of the nearby confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.
In the next few months, Crystal will open a club with two swimming pools, restaurants, and bars.
After its opening, Crystal will have up to 120 trees planted, some reaching a height of 9 meters.
In the coming months, Crystal will open a club with two swimming pools, restaurants, and bars. These are currently under construction and, once completed, will significantly expand the space of this new high-rise building.
