The Langham Xintiandi and Jumeirah Hantang Xintiandi Hotels set a new standard for modern, high-rise buildings in historic urban districts in their innovative design, diverse program mix, and connection to surrounding context. This innovative, luxury development responds sensitively to the district’s low-rise architectural fabric and provides visitors a variety of retail and entertainment options in addition to the full gamut of amenities expected by international travelers.

The two five-star hotels are located between the busy Huai Hai Zhong Road retail corridor and the Xintiandi district, which draws international visitors and locals to its high-end boutiques, restaurants, outdoor cafes, lively nightclubs, and diverse cultural venues, many of which are housed in renovated shikumen—gray-brick townhouses with carved-stone gates from the 1920s. Like the award-winning and highly influential Xintiandi redevelopment district, which was completed in 2002, the hotels’ dynamic formal expression and high-end amenities will play a pivotal role in advancing Shanghai’s new role as a global hub of commerce and culture.

Connected by a pedestrian bridge, the tower forms are distinguished by their window-wall patterns in Chinese granite. The Langham Xintiandi’s exterior treatment is derived from traditional Chinese latticework, while the Jumeirah Hantang’s window wall interprets latticework in a more playful manner. The Jumeirah Hantang’s exterior is animated by a multicolored LED lighting encasing the windows in a random pattern, which is activated when guests close their blackout shades. The podiums’ L-shaped punched windows, a design adapted from the window-wall of the towers, share a frit pattern: for the Langham Xintiandi, the pattern is derived from the flying horse—a symbol associated with the Han Dynasty; at the Jumeirah Hantang, the pattern is abstracted from the Tang Lady—an icon of the Tang Dynasty.

The business-oriented Langham Xintiandi and the leisure-oriented Jumeirah Hantang Xintiandi convey a fashionable sensibility that extends and further develops the character of the historic Xintiandi. Synthesizing old and new, the hotels respond to their context with a warm-gray stone cladding and low-rise podiums that engage the historic neighborhood at street level. At the same time, the project’s powerful architectural forms and high-end amenities embody the dynamism of modern-day cosmopolitan Shanghai: Each hotel houses a spa, restaurants, bars, and retail shops.

The 357-room Langham Xintiandi caters to business travelers with meeting rooms, atrium lounge, and dining options from around the globe, while the 309-room Jumeirah Hantang Xintiandi appeals to leisure travelers through its resort-style amenities, such as a rooftop wedding chapel and nightclub. Sited on adjacent parcels, the hotels’ curvilinear forms are oriented toward the pedestrian shopping district and each other. The massing of the two towers suggests a coupled relationship between individuals, inspired by the Shanghai Sisters--larger-than-life figures associated with the city’s lively nightlife in the 1920s.

Comprising 665,000 square feet (62,000 square meters), the Langham Xintiandi and Jumeirah Hantang Xintiandi Hotels stand over 100 meters tall with 24-meter-high podiums that contain hotel function spaces such as lobby and conference areas. The curved walls of the towers and unconventional wall treatments create distinctive window configurations that produce a variety of city views for guests.