A bridge to the high life in Chongqing

Skybridge called The Crystal (above) PHOTO: CAPITALAND
The 1.12 million sq m megastructure Raffles City Chongqing (left) is on track to open in the second half of this year in the Chinese city. The eighth and final skyscraper of the development was topped out on Jan 25, marking a milestone for Singapore-
The 1.12 million sq m megastructure Raffles City Chongqing (above) PHOTO: CAPITALAND

The 1.12 million sq m megastructure Raffles City Chongqing is on track to open in the second half of this year in the Chinese city. The eighth and final skyscraper of the development was topped out on Jan 25, marking a milestone for Singapore-listed real estate developer CapitaLand. Two of the eight towers are, at 350m high, considered to be Chongqing's tallest buildings. Six of the towers are linked by an enclosed skybridge called The Crystal. Envisaged as the centre of civic activities where locals and visitors from around the world converge in Chongqing, The Crystal will house a rich array of amenities, including a viewing gallery, lush gardens, an infinity pool and restaurants. When darkness falls, it will transform into a giant light beam, illuminating the night sky with a pulsating light show. Raffles City Chongqing comprises a 235,000 sq m shopping mall, 150,000 sq m of Grade A office space and about 1,400 residential apartments, as well as the Ascott Raffles City Chongqing serviced residences and InterContinental Raffles City Chongqing hotel. The massive development, located at Chaotianmen at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Yuzhong district, has a gross floor area (excluding carparks) of about 817,000 sq m.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 26, 2019, with the headline A bridge to the high life in Chongqing. Subscribe