Rising 100 meters above a scarred former open-pit mine, Langham Place, Changsha commands the landscape of the Da Wang Shan Resort. Architect Wolf D. Prix of Coop Himmelb(l)au shaped this 60,000-square-meter structure by studying the ancient bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. He translated her iconic silhouette into an ellipse-based cylindrical tower. The building wears a silk-like, homogenous facade designed to filter sunlight and draw in natural ventilation, softening the boundary between the interior and the humid Hunan air.

Beneath this elegant skin lies a muscular feat of engineering. A reinforced concrete core anchors the central hall, absorbing the invisible forces of wind and seismic tremors. From this spine, a three-story podium extends outward on a cantilevered lightweight steel framework. This structural choice transfers heavy loads directly to the core, granting the interior a sweeping, column-free expanse.

Opened on April 28, 2021, the hotel serves as the gateway to Xiangjiang Happy City. The 1,100-square-meter pillar-less Grand Ballroom gathers crowds under natural skylights, while separate elevator cores ensure quiet, seamless movement through the tower. The building stands as a sculptural monolith, healing an industrial void with architectural grace.