The Kunlun Hua Ting Hotel & Towers reimagines contemporary hospitality through the lens of Shanghai’s heritage and modern identity. Rooted in the city’s rich history, vibrant culture, and dynamic urban character, it offers a refined experience that reflects Shanghai’s spirit while embracing timeless elegance and modern comfort.
Studio Ara set out to renew The Kunlun Hua Ting Hotel & Towers while preserving its long-standing identity in Shanghai. Named after Huating, a historic place name with deep roots in the Shanghai region, the hotel carries a legacy closely connected to the city’s cultural and architectural heritage. The challenge was to bring this legacy into the present while retaining the character that has defined the hotel for generations.
Today, Shanghai continues to evolve as one of Asia’s leading global cities, balancing heritage with contemporary living. Our design concept reflects this legacy while preserving the hotel’s iconic architectural features and refining the guest experience.
Traditional mountains and rivers become an abstract expression of the city’s prosperity, while the magnolia, Shanghai’s city flower, appears as a symbol for openness, innovation and renewal. Rather than reproducing these references literally, familiar motifs are reinterpreted across furnishings, textiles, architectural details and artworks, weaving the city’s heritage subtly into the fabric of the hotel. A restrained palette with considered moments of colour keeps the interiors feeling lush and rooted, without becoming an overt or nostalgic expression of Shanghai.
A key highlight of the redesign is the preservation of the hotel’s defining architectural features. Key moments such as the central staircase remain intact and are brought back into focus. New flooring, ceilings and lighting update the surrounding spaces, while changes to circulation improve how guests move through the hotel. The result is a foyer that retains its sense of grandeur while feeling lighter, more open and spacious.
The completed interiors give The Kunlun Hua Ting Hotel & Towers a renewed sense of place in contemporary Shanghai. Familiar architectural features sit alongside richer materials, improved functionality and subtle references to the city throughout, creating spaces that feel both established and current. The hotel’s legacy remains visible, presenting a destination shaped by its past and prepared for the future.
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