Construction work has begun on the Songjiang Hotel, a 'sunken hotel' being created in a 328ft (100m)-deep water-filled quarry in Songjiang close to Shanghai, China. Situated inside the Shanghai Sheshan National Holiday Resort in the Sheshan Mountain area of Songjiang, the 21-floor hotel will have two underwater levels, 17 floors between the surface of the water and ground-level and two floors above ground-level.

Design and engineering consultancy Atkins won a competition in 2006 to design the hotel, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. According to lead architect Martin Jochman, the entire hotel concept will revolve around water and nature-based wellness and spa facilities. There will also be a large spa offering on the water level of the property.

The underwater floors will house a restaurant and bedrooms facing an aquarium, while the lowest level will contain a leisure complex offering a swimming pool and water sports.

Designer Atkins has made sustainability key to the hotel's construction, including generating electricity and heating from the site's geothermal energy. A naturally-lit internal atrium will incorporate the existing rockface of the quarry. Details: atkinsglobal.com