---
title: "City in the Sky: How China Built the Most Complex Horizontal Skyscraper"
description: "China has opened the \"Crystal\" — a horizontal skyscraper connecting four towers at a height of 250 meters. This is one of the most complex engineering projects of modern times, turning the city into a three-dimensional space. 🏙️✨"
date: 2026-05-29T10:27:47.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/in-china-they-built-a-horizontal-skyscraper-what-it-looks-like
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# City in the Sky: How China Built the Most Complex Horizontal Skyscraper

![View of the Crystal horizontal skyscraper in Chongqing, connecting four towers over the river](https://xab.info/media/2026/05/29/v-kitae-postroili-gorizontalnyy-neboskreb-kak-on-vygljadit/horizontalnyy-neboskreb-v-kitae.webp)

In Chongqing, a city renowned for its dramatic topography and futuristic architecture, a project has been realized that rewrites the rules of urban planning. This is the "Crystal" — a massive suspended structure connecting four skyscrapers at a height inaccessible to ordinary people. It is not just a bridge, but a full-fledged horizontal skyscraper hovering over the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.

### An Engineering Feat in the Air

The scale of the structure is breathtaking. The length of the "Crystal" reaches almost 300 meters, hanging over the ground at a height of more than 250 meters. To hold this steel mass weighing 13,200 tons, engineers had to apply cutting-edge technologies. The structure rests on four support towers, but its stability is ensured by a complex system of cantilever bridges, creating the effect of continuous space in the air.

Assembling such an object on the ground would have been impossible due to logistical constraints. Therefore, the sections of the structure were assembled at ground level and then lifted to height using powerful hydraulic systems. The heaviest elements weighed more than 1,000 tons, requiring perfect synchronization of the lifting mechanisms. The slightest error in calculations could have led to a catastrophe.

### A Three-Dimensional City

The architectural studio Safdie Architects, behind the project, describes the Raffles City Chongqing complex as a "three-dimensional city." This is not just a set of buildings, but a vertical quarter where life takes place in several dimensions. Inside the "Crystal" and the towers connected to it are offices, luxury apartments, shopping galleries, restaurants, and a hotel.

Special attention is paid to aesthetics and functionality. The facade of the structure consists of thousands of glass and aluminum panels, forming a complex geometric shell. This not only protects the interior space but also creates a unique visual effect that changes depending on the lighting.

### The Art of Living at Height

The main highlight of the project is the observation deck with a glass floor. Being on it, visitors get the opportunity to see the panorama of the city and the river, as if hovering over them. This creates a feeling of weightlessness and complete unity with the architectural masterpiece.

The project, implemented by developer CapitaLand with the support of Arup engineers, cost tens of billions of yuan. It includes hundreds of shops, parking lots, and public spaces, turning into a real center of attraction. The "Crystal" demonstrates that the future of urban planning is not only vertical growth but also the creation of complex, multi-level spaces where urban life goes beyond the ground.