Chongqing’s “Crystal” skybridge: A 300-metre horizontal skyscraper suspended between four towers

China’s Raffles City Chongqing development features a 300-metre-long structure known as The Crystal, a horizontal skybridge that connects several towers high above the city. Often described as a “horizontal skyscraper,” the structure forms part of the mixed-use complex in Chongqing’s Yuzhong District.

The Crystal was designed by Safdie Architects, the firm also associated with Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, and the wider Raffles City Chongqing project was developed by CapitaLand. CapitaLand states that the development involved a total investment of RMB24 billion.

Located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the complex sits in one of Chongqing’s most prominent urban districts. The wider development covers about 1.12 million square meters and combines residences, offices, a hotel, retail space, and public amenities within a large integrated development.

At about 300 meters long, The Crystal is far more than a conventional skybridge. It sits roughly 250 meters above ground and is supported by four of the eight towers that make up the Raffles City Chongqing development. Its scale and height required engineers to account for wind loads, structural movement, shifting loads, and thermal expansion.

Parts of the steel framework were assembled at ground level and lifted into position in sections using hydraulic systems, a method often described as “lift-up” construction. This approach allowed some complex assembly and inspection work to be completed at ground level before the sections were raised and connected between the towers.

The exterior of The Crystal is made up of around 3,000 glass panels and nearly 5,000 aluminum panels, giving the structure a reflective appearance. The skybridge includes public attractions such as an observation deck, along with other leisure and hospitality spaces.

As part of the wider Raffles City Chongqing development, The Crystal contributes to a large mixed-use complex intended to combine commercial, residential, hospitality, and public functions. Its elevated position offers views of the surrounding rivers, cityscape, and mountains.

The project is also notable for its engineering complexity, particularly because of the way the long horizontal structure is connected across multiple high-rise towers. Its design had to accommodate movement, heat expansion, wind effects, and structural loads across an unusually large elevated span.

The Crystal remains one of the most distinctive features of Raffles City Chongqing and is widely recognized as an unusual example of high-rise architecture that extends horizontally as well as vertically.