Wanda Reign Hotel facade

Make’s spectacular facade design for the new 30-storey Wanda Reign hotel in Wuhan was completed in December 2013. Located in an attractive lakeside setting in the centre of the city, the luxury six-star hotel forms part of the Wuhan Central Cultural District development – a major 1.8km2 masterplan to redevelop the city’s riverside.

The development includes the distinctive Han Show Theatre designed by British architect Mark Fisher, currently being constructed immediately adjacent to the hotel and taking the form of a giant red Chinese lantern. Our facade design creates a deliberate counterpoint to its distinctive neighbour by offering a cool, sleek contrast to the vibrant red of the theatre.

The hotel’s sophisticated cladding system is characterised by 902 hexagonal modules, which create the effect of multiple ‘eyes’ looking out over the city from the guestrooms. Each module is composed from highly reflective aluminium and angled in both plan and section to protect the rooms from solar gain and create a dynamic texture on the surface of the building, which is further animated with reflections and changing light conditions. Insulated silver aluminium cladding panels are arranged between the modules and LED lighting is integrated into each hexagon, emphasising the dramatic textured effect at night.

At the base and top of the tower the facade’s regular hexagonal geometry dissolves; the modules become vertically elongated at the upper floors to form the points of a ‘crown’ that surrounds the roof. Large folded triangular glass panels at podium level create a dramatic three-dimensional effect and maximise the glazed frontage to the restaurants and conference rooms housed on the lower floors.

Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties Company Ltd

Make Architects

Consultants:
Guangzhou Pearl River Foreign Investment Architectural Designing Institute
SuP Ingenieure GmbH
Toryo International Lighting Design Centre