Welcome to the Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland: What China's first groundscraper hotel looks like

The sky’s the limit for some architects. But for others, it’s all about how low you can go.

That title is currently held by China’s first quarry hotel, which has taken architecture to new heights by sinking some 88 metres below the earth’s surface.

The five-star Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland has been dubbed “the groundscraper hotel” for its unorthodox underground structure.

The unveiling of the unique design has also raised the possibility of similar projects across Australia’s abandoned or underutilised quarries.

It would be a novel architectural approach in the aftermath of the nation’s mining boom, says Australian architect Jessica Liew.

“For example Perth has got a lot of mining built towns that have been left derelict, apparently,” she says. “It would be good to revive all of that. If they’re there now, why let them go to waste?

“Rather than building new infrastructure, a new town, use whatever you have there and revive it. It’s the same as reviving old Melbourne laneways.”

Architect Martin Jochman has echoed those thoughts, telling design magazine Dezeen the hotel could be a blueprint for how to develop disused industrial sites.

“We already have the Eden Project in Cornwall, or the Sunway in Kuala Lumpur and a few others, but yes the Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental is a great inspiration for how to utilise difficult ‘brownfield’ site for leisure in a way that balances the natural and man-made environment,” he said.

Sustainable architecture has taken hold across the globe with architects pushing the boundaries by incorporating renewable energy sources and increasingly integrating trees and plants into designs.

Reducing waste during construction and throughout the lifetime of an architecturally designed-building is now an essential goal, says Liew. “If you think about it, every time we build something it’s not quite sustainable because whenever you’re creating something there’s also waste as an output.

“But it’s how you manage the whole construction process, like limiting the waste, that would help.”

However, underground habitation is nothing new, particularly in Coober Pedy. The South Australian town is famous for its houses built under the earth’s surface, which provide relief from the searing temperatures above ground.

And Mona in Hobart is anchored into a rock face of the banks above the Derwent River. Designed by Melbourne-based architects Fender Katsalidis, the museum is 12 metres below the ground.

But Skylodge in Cuzco, Peru takes the cake. The lodge is made up of “adventure suites”, which are glass capsules built on to the side of the Sacred Valley. To stay at Skylodge, people must climb 400 metres or take a zipline.

Peru is also home to Larcomar, an ocean-front shopping mall built into the sandstone cliffs along the Pacific Ocean in Lima.

The 366-room Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland hotel is aimed at China’s uber-rich and offers luxury suites costing up to $14,000 a night.

Of the hotel’s 18 floors, 16 are below ground and two are above ground. Hotel reception, a restaurant and conference facilities are found on the two top levels, while two at the very bottom are completely submerged in the quarry’s lake.

Instead of windows letting in the light, these underwater hotel rooms feature windows with a full aquarium view.

Guests staying above water have panoramic views of an artificial waterfall on the opposite side of the quarry. And at level 14, just above the lake’s surface, hotel guests can take a dip in the swimming pool.

The sheer scale of the project and engineering work involved meant it took developers Shimao Group 12 years to design and build the hotel.

Jochman, from architects Jade + QA, and his team wrestled with site challenges including seismic codes, drainage and the transportation of building materials and equipment. The design had to ensure the hotel would be protected in the event of falling rocks and flooding.

Using a team of 5000 architects, engineers, designers and construction workers, the hotel was built using a steel-frame that is attached to the quarry cliff face.

The facade is largely glass, including the centre column that mimics a waterfall and houses the hotel’s observation lifts. The guest wings on either side have an S-shape.

The quarry was shut down in 2000 due to environmental protection regulations. Developer Shimao Group reportedly bought the land in 2006 to build the large-scale underground resort.