Construction discards trickle into the interiors of SpActrum's office in Shanghai
by Anushka SharmaJan 01, 2025
by ABBPublished on : May 09, 2022
We are in Chongqing, China. One of the largest cities in the world.
Witnessing a project of outstanding scale and significance: Raffles City Chongqing, a complex of eight skyscrapers by Moshe Safdie. Like billowing sails situated at the tip of land where the rivers Yangtze and Jialing meet, these skyscrapers change the perspectives on a city that so far has not been the focus of the wider world outside China, like Shanghai or Beijing. But this could now be about to change!
Seven skyscrapers reach the sky, with the eighth being a horizontal building 250 metres in height, called ‘The Crystal’. It connects four of the towers, bringing garden areas, swimming pools, hotel lobbies and restaurants to a higher level. As Moshe Safdie says, "It does not make sense any longer to have the public landscapes on the ground in a city where high-rise buildings dominate!" With this said, The Crystal has proven its relevance. Offering breathtaking views of the city of Chongqing, the rivers and the mountain landscape in the distance, it also provides natural environs, leisure and comfort to those visiting the 300-metre long sky bridge.
Raffles City Chongqing has been awarded LEED-CS pre-certification gold, as advanced technologies lower its environmental impact. Thousands of ABB products are involved to deliver outstanding performance.
"We are very proud that we have been able to create a gateway complex that has proven to have deep symbolic meaning for the city and its citizens," says architect Moshe Safdie of Safdie Architects.
Watch Episode #16 of Frozen Music and feel the magic of Safdie Architects' newest significant addition to a megacity.
Frozen Music Episode #16 Raffles City Chongqing - China by Safdie Architects May 4, 2022
Frozen Music
Each Frozen Music video showcases a unique building project and the architects behind them to a global community, giving quick insight into safer, smarter, and more sustainable building designs.
Sign up to ABB's newsletter to not miss the next episode of Frozen Music.
Sign up nowby Anmol Ahuja Aug 21, 2026
A conversation with the 2026 winner of the Royal Gold Medal for architecture spotlights his body of work, the philosophies grounding it and the framing of legacy in an active career.
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Aug 19, 2026
The London-based studio elaborates on their investigations into how the food we consume links us to larger ecosystems, and how that can be a tool for resistance.
by Pranjal Maheshwari Aug 18, 2026
The Lebanese designer accentuates the material history, motifs and spatial rhythms of Tashkent’s Okhun Gozar, extensively using wood to transform it into a crafts salon.
by Pranjal Maheshwari Aug 14, 2026
In conversation with panellists at the UIA World Congress in Barcelona, STIR probes their analysis of the symposium’s theme and its importance in the face of global polycrises.
Enter your details to sign in
Don’t have an account?
Sign upOr you can sign in with
a single account for all
STIR platforms
All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices.
Stay STIRred
Already have an account?
Sign inOr you can sign up with
Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Enter the 6-digit code sent at
Episode #16: Raffles City Chongqing from Frozen Music, ABB's popular video series
by ABB | Published on : May 09, 2022
What do you think?