Living the high life… as low down as possible: Chinese five-star hotel is being built INSIDE a quarry 100 yards beneath ground level

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China has long been winning the world's construction race - building skyscrapers, houses and even whole cities at a rapid pace that has impressed the globe.   

And it seems the country's construction projects are becoming more inventive by the year, as this concept of a five star hotel in an abandoned quarry proves.

Work is under way to build the InterContinental Shimao quarry hotel at the foot of Tianmenshan Mountain in the Songjiang District of Shanghai, east China.

The £345million complex has been designed by British-based firm Atkins and will have 370 guest rooms across its 19 floors to be enjoyed by the Chinese elite.

Two of the floors will be above ground and 17 below, but the two bottom floors will be underwater and boast a glass-walled aquarium, a restaurant and guest rooms.

A swimming pool and a sports centre will also be built inside the hotel as well as several restaurants, a banqueting hall and conference rooms for business meetings.

Atkins has even designed the structure to blend in with the landscape using an eco-friendly green roof that will be have various trees planted on top.

The hotel, which is estimated to be completed in 2017, will have an exact altitude of minus 87 yards and guest rooms will start at around £200 per night.

Work is well underway to build a luxury five-star hotel in an abandoned quarry in the Songjiang District of Shanghai in eastern China

 An overhead view of the quarry at the foot of Tianmenshan Mountain. The hotel, 87 yards underground, is estimated to be finished in 2017

The hotel is being built using cranes to lower construction materials to workers below. The hotel will have a total of 21 floors

An artist's view of what the finished quarry hotel will look like. The £345million complex has been designed by British-based firm Atkins

The hotel will be built into the mountainous landscape and guests will be able to do watersports on the lake visible from bedroom windows

 Two of the floors will be above ground, 17 below ground and the two bottom floors will be so deep they'll be underwater with an aquarium

The five-star resort will have several restaurants, guest rooms, a swimming pool and a sports centre, a banqueting hall and conference facilities

The quarry at the start of construction in 2013. The hotel will have a swimming pool and a sports centre and rooms will start at £200 a night