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Monday, 16 December 2019 02:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
India’s ITC One Hotel and Sapphire Residences at the picturesque Galle Face reached a historic milestone yesterday when its iconic ‘Ahasa One’ sky bridge connecting the two towers became an engineering reality..
It is South Asia’s first sky bridge and Sri Lanka as well as ITC, WelcomHotels and construction specialist Larsen & Toubro (L&T) are proud to have made it a reality.
In what could be described as an engineering marvel in South Asia, with region-grown design, engineering prowess, software and sheer grit, the steel bridge weighing 2,000 tons and spanning 55 m was hydraulically lifted and fitted to link the 19-21 levels of the two towers over an eight hour period. The process started with religious blessings in early hours yesterday and completed by afternoon.
Prior to yesterday’s gigantic effort, the main contractor L&T’s special projects team did extensive precision like testing and simulation in its Chennai offices aided by latest software, sensors and machine learning. The structure was pre-fabricated and shipped to Sri Lanka for assembling and further testing. Expert Indian engineers and skilled Lankan staff united to create this South Asian history within a span of eight hours.
Scheduled for completion in 2021, the iconic development comprises of the majestic 224 m residential tower, which sits alongside the 140 m high ITC One hotel. The two towers connecting spectacular sky bridge has two infinity pools on top and a jazz lounge below.
Following a global trend at the uber-luxury end of the market for large lateral apartments, the top two floors will feature the region’s largest penthouses with some of most spectacular views in South Asia, reinforcing Sapphire Residences’ position as the number one residential address in the city.
Comprising 132 enormous Sky Mansions and Penthouses, Sapphire Residences will be home to a privileged number of individuals who have ascended the pinnacle of success and personal achievement and desire stylish, carefree living in the most luxurious and secure homes in Colombo.
WelcomHotels Lanka Managing Director Arun Pathak, his team and L&T project Head Natarajan Namachivayam and his team were elated with the historic milestone perhaps much to the envy or amaze of existing and sprawling luxury high rises and mixed developments promoted by others.
He said the Ahasa One sky bridge will be the most distinctive and striking feature of the modern city of Colombo and an iconic landmark apart from being an engineering marvel. It is also a first for ITC and L&T.
Namachivayam said the sky bridge is one of the most unique structures that we have ever built, and it requires full-scale load testing before final assembly on site. “This is a unique challenge that, to our knowledge, has no precedent on this scale and size anywhere in the world. The unusual unsupported exterior boundary wall and its porous nature when untreated meant that water ingress management was a massive challenge in terms of waterproofing and dewatering. But we overcame this as well.”
The building employs an iconic design by a world-class team led by Gensler, the renowned US architectural firm, in which the residential tower uses an innovative triangular plan to ensure the internal space of each floor is maximised and enabling spectacular uninterrupted ocean, city and lake views. Engineered with no external supporting walls, an uninterrupted flow of natural light fills every residence, while 4 m ceilings create an exceptional sense of living space throughout.
Sapphire Residences has already achieved the prestigious LEED pre-certification at the highest Platinum level in the core and shell category, ensuring the lowest environmental impact of any building on this scale.
As ITC’s first overseas project, the company remains determined to deliver a first-class product that fulfils all our promises to clients, supported by our excellent local and international partners, said Pathak.
