Project will also see Sapphire Residences and a super deluxe 5 star ITC hotel at Galle Face oceanfront location in Colombo

ITC, through its wholly owned subsidiary WelcomHotels Lanka, is developing a landmark mix-use project comprising uber luxury residential apartments – Sapphire Residences and a super deluxe 5 star ITC hotel at the prime Galle Face oceanfront location in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The most distinctive aspect of this architectural marvel is the spectacular ‘Ahasa One’ Sky Bridge that joins the two towers 100 metres in the air. The first of its kind in South Asia, Ahasa One will feature dual-panoramic views with two 50 metre infinity sky pools on top and a Jazz bar & lounge below that are guaranteed to become a popular destination for Colombo’s elite.

The details behind the realization of the project are being broadcast in a new documentary, The Making of the Ahasa One Sky Bridge. The film shows how the Sky Bridge was conceived, designed, constructed in India, and shipped across to Colombo, where it was assembled on the ground over several months, before being hoisted and affixed between the towers’ 19th and 21st levels. The captivating documentary, which was aired recently in major local TV channels in Sri Lanka, is now available for viewing on YouTube and is a must-watch.

The journey that is presented in the documentary highlights the numerous challenges faced by the creators of the Sky Bridge as they set about to turn their ambitious vision from blueprint to reality. The structure is the result of a 2-year collaborative effort between the design, procurement, fabrication, and installation teams.

Weighing a staggering 3,000 tonnes when complete, which is equivalent to hoisting more than 160 city buses and securing them 100 metres in the air, it is no surprise that this 55-meter-long elevated pathway challenged the world’s best architectural and engineering minds. To accomplish this, the project developer WelcomHotels Lanka sought the expertise of leading names in global design and construction: the list of firms selected include Gensler (Los Angeles), Thornton Tomasetti (New York), L&T (India/Sri Lanka) and Sterling (India), as well as Sri Lankan architect Deshamanya Surath Wickramasinghe, who has been at the forefront of this project since its inception.

This state-of-the-art construction had been designed with meticulous engineering expertise, and an ingenious system was developed that allowed the Sky Bridge to be assembled at ground level before the massive, completed structure was raised into place, ensuring absolute precision during installation.

This bespoke technique involved the use of highly specialized synchronized lifting systems and fabrication methods, together with a unique ‘top down’ assembly process in the suspended condition. It was essential to keep the Sky Bridge level to within just 3 mm throughout the lifting operation. With 4 lifting points and two Strand Jacks at each point used in combination to hoist a total of 160 high tension and flexible cables (known as ‘strands’), the entire lifting system delivered a total capacity of almost 2,500 metric tons. All four Strand Jacks were synchronized and aligned using a master computer, closely monitored by a single, highly experienced engineer who controlled the vertical accuracy of each of the lifting points.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfP2fRyyN0s&feature=youtu.be

courtesy.. construction week online