Skyboat: A Marvel of Architecture Overlooking a Sinkhole

Xin Yuan's Award-Winning Design Balances on the Edge of Innovation

Xin Yuan's inspiration for the Skyboat came from two unlikely sources - a goose and a tumbler toy. The design had to account for the site's instability, indicated by a long crack at the top of the ridge. Xin Yuan's solution was to design key struts at each end of the building, inclining towards the ridge. The horizontal component forces from these struts provide an embracing force to the ridge, improving the site's stability.

The Skyboat's unique properties lie in its structure. It cantilevers 36m over the sinkhole, spanning over a narrow passageway and extending out to each side of the mountain ridge. The design lowers the structure's centre of gravity and utilizes a minimum area of 10 metres by 30 metres, achieving a self-balancing structure. This innovative design approach sets the Skyboat apart from other architectural structures.

The Skyboat was realized with minimal impact on the local vegetation, with only five supports proposed. During the construction stage, hanging falsework was used, and structural members were installed piece by piece to protect the local plants and rivers. This careful consideration for the environment further highlights the design's uniqueness.

The Skyboat is a two-storey building with hotel rooms on the ground floor, a café on the first floor, and a roof viewing platform with a 10metre-by-12.5metre walk-on glass floor. Covering a plan dimension of 10metres by 80metres, the building cantilevers out by 34metres and 22metres at both ends. The total steel weight used is 438 tonnes, a testament to the scale and ambition of the project.

Visitors to the Skyboat can enjoy coffee while immersed in the beauty of nature, or walk on the glass floor above the 600-meter deep pit for a heart-stopping experience. The project, which started in 2018 in Leye, China, and finished in 2019, was a collaboration between Xin Yuan, Guangxi Leye DashiWei, Zhong Huaying Studio, LiLi, Shanghai ZhongJian Architectural Design, and China Railway 25th Group 6th Company.

The Skyboat's design and construction were not without challenges. The site's instability and the structure's cantilever over the deep sinkhole required careful planning and execution. However, the team's innovative solutions and meticulous execution led to the successful realization of this architectural marvel. The Skyboat was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2022, a testament to its outstanding design and impact on the world of architecture.