A competition entry for Langham Hospitality Group conceived as a bold expression of contemporary luxury hospitality within the Da Wang Shan integrated resort in Changsha, Hunan Province.
The design proposition for this 295-key hotel is governed by a singular hexagonal geometry — drawn from natural tessellation and crystalline mineral structures — that operates across every scale, from the tower’s faceted glass envelope to the coffered ceilings of the wellness spa. Rather than applying pattern as surface decoration, the hexagonal module serves as the generative logic of the architecture, determining floor-plate geometry, structural bay spacing, and the proportions of every opening throughout the building.
Tower & Facade
The hotel rises as a faceted glass volume whose entire curtain wall is organized as a field of hexagonal panels. The geometry creates a shifting, light-responsive surface: by day, the angled facets reflect sky and landscape in fragmented patterns; at night, the interior illumination transforms the tower into a glowing honeycomb visible across the resort district and the Xiang River. The hexagonal module is not applied as decoration but operates as the generative logic of the architecture — determining floor-plate geometry, structural bay spacing, and the proportions of every opening.
Reception & Public Spaces
The ground-floor reception establishes the project’s material identity through a monumental hexagonal feature wall — a three-dimensional surface of tessellated panels that transition from warm amber to cool blue under programmed lighting. A gold-leaf diamond-pattern wall at the adjacent lounge provides a contrasting material register, while the polished white reception desk and brass floor inlays anchor the composition. The upper-level executive lounge extends the hexagonal glazing to its full expression, wrapping guests in the building’s structural geometry while providing panoramic views of the Changsha skyline through the honeycomb window wall.
Guest Rooms & Suites
The 295-key program ranges from standard deluxe rooms to expansive suites, each framed by the hexagonal facade. Standard rooms employ an olive and white palette with the facade geometry modulating daylight and framing individual views of the surrounding landscape. Suites embrace a bolder interior language — colorful abstract carpets, emerald velvet upholstery, pop-art furnishings, and contemporary artwork create a vibrant counterpoint to the structural discipline of the hexagonal windows.
Skyline Dining & Wellness
A rooftop bar and restaurant occupies the tower’s crown, with hexagonal sculptural light fixtures floating above an illuminated turquoise bar counter and panoramic glazing dissolving the boundary between interior and skyline. The wellness spa translates the hexagonal language into a contemplative register: dark stone soaking pools sit beneath a coffered hexagonal ceiling, oversized hexagonal windows frame a private bamboo garden, and timber day beds line the perimeter. A high-floor fitness center provides a final expression of the facade as inhabited space — exercise equipment arranged along the full-height hexagonal glazing with views across the entire resort district.
Architectural Model
The physical model reveals the project’s massing strategy — a faceted tower rising from a landscaped podium whose geometry is calibrated to the topography and program of the Da Wang Shan resort. The model demonstrates how the hexagonal logic extends from tower form through podium articulation to landscape, creating a continuous architectural language that unifies the entire development.
