In November 2022, the 14th China Golden Eagle Television Art Festival was successfully held in Changsha, Hunan. The newly inaugurated Hunan Radio and Television Station Program Production Base served as one of the stunning venues for the event. This project, awarded to HPP in an international competition in 2014, began construction in June 2016 and took nearly seven years to complete. As the largest studio cluster in China, it stands as the leading development within the Malanshan Video Culture and Creative Industry Park and has become a prominent urban landmark in Hunan Province.
The One Axis Multi-Center Hunan Radio and Television Station Program Production Base is situated east of the Hunan International Convention and Exhibition Center and south of the Window of the World theme park. Covering approximately 120 acres with a total construction area of about 230,000 square meters, this modern “Global Dream Factory” style complex is dedicated to non-news program production. It integrates multiple functions, including large-scale performing arts, film and television production, art exhibitions, creative workshops, and visitor experiences.
The site features a natural slope, descending from east to west, and the overall master plan follows this terrain with a stepped layout divided into four large terraces. The design concept, “one axis, multiple centers,” is realized through a three-dimensional main axis that runs east to west. Studios and supporting functions extend north-south along this central axis. Traffic flow within the base is organized for clarity, ease of access, and minimal interference. Internal roads encircle the perimeter and weave through gaps between studios, ensuring efficient operational flow.
The architectural design is inspired by the concept of “Colorful Boxes,” creating five rows of vibrant mango-colored boxes arranged on the stepped terrain, forming China’s largest studio cluster. The box positioned at the top east hosts the country’s largest theater-style studio. Beyond studios, the project includes a theater, an art museum, a floating office area, a technology building, and a cloud data center. These seven boxes can function independently or in combination, creating a flexible studio matrix of 5+1+1>7.
The core axis of the site, called Starlight Avenue, stretches 400 meters long and 20 meters wide from north to south. It connects the western entrance square to the eastern office entrance, serving as the main outdoor corridor throughout the production base and a key venue for public events. The entire main axis is sheltered by a large, double-layered roof supported by the outer columns of the adjacent studios on both sides. This design creates a column-free space ideal for outdoor recordings while offering an open and expansive area for visitors.
The roof features a transparent glass top layer and adjustable sun visors underneath, providing excellent natural lighting and shade for outdoor activities.
The Rainbow Box marks the entrance to the entire complex. It houses the multimedia art center, open to the public, exhibiting diverse artworks such as images, paintings, and sculptures. This space serves as the project’s gateway, guiding visitors into the Avenue of Stars.
Following the art center are five studio boxes where Hunan TV’s flagship entertainment shows and high-quality idol dramas are produced. The studios’ facades reflect the mango logo of Hunan Television Station, transitioning in color from bright yellow to vibrant red, symbolizing the youthful and dynamic spirit of the station.
The design includes a public viewing channel within the studios, allowing visitors to experience China’s most advanced television production processes firsthand. The layout balances shared space with efficient functionality, ensuring smooth staff operations while maintaining openness to the public.
Visitors ascend stairs along the central axis to reach the highest point: an open-air plaza atop the complex featuring the Mango TV Experience Hall. This space serves as a large outdoor performance venue and a gathering place for Mango fans, offering a vibrant setting for future public events filled with freedom and joy.
The new Floating Office Program Production Center is suspended high above the Mango TV Experience Hall and the sunken plaza on the eastern side of the base. Its design continues the theme of vertical layering, with a massive circular office space supported by eight core tubes, resembling a crown floating atop the mountaintop.
This office area is elevated 50 meters above ground level, offering staff panoramic views of all the “boxes” from a spacious rooftop garden, along with stunning 360-degree vistas of the surrounding landscape. The striking suspended structure also forms a distinctive part of Changsha’s eastern gateway.
As China’s most advanced program recording and production site, the Hunan Radio and Television Station Program Production Base breaks away from traditional isolated factory models. Embracing openness, innovation, and inclusivity, it combines efficient architectural design with cutting-edge technology to foster interaction between audiences and broadcasters. It serves as an inspiring creative hub for young talents and stands as an international cultural landmark of great significance.
Project Drawings
△ General layout plan
△ 47m elevation plan
△ 56-meter elevation plan
△ 68m elevation plan
△ 74m elevation plan
△ 105.5-meter elevation plan
△ Section diagram
△ Section diagram
△ Section diagram
△ Project Generation Diagram
Project Information
Architect: HPP Architects
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: AST Studio
Manufacturers: KNAUF, Sto (Germany), Evergreen Adelie
Managing Partners: Jens Kump, Yu Wei
Design Team: Feng Zipeng, Xue Yan, Li Tianxiang, Cui Hao, Myriam Hamdi, Chen Xi, Chen Juncheng, Baldur Steimle, Maria Kohl, Wang Dan, Yang Liu, Zhou Junhua, Li Xiaoxing, Ke Junqing, Julianne Cassidy, Monon Bin Yunus, Sascha Gössinger, Julian Puchmüller, Karolina Maria Ozimek
Client: Hunan Radio and Television Station
Local Design Institute: Tongji University Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd
Location: Changsha, China
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