Espinas Royal Hotel – The Golden Muqarnas Mixed-Use Twin Towers

Where Iranian Heritage Meets Contemporary Innovation in the Heart of Tehran

The Espinas Royal Hotel mix-used high-rise twin tower proposal by MASK Architects represents a bold vision of luxury, sustainability, and cultural identity for one of Tehran’s most distinguished hospitality landmarks.Espinas Hotel Group, owned by the Amiri Family, is one of Iran’s most prestigious and influential hospitality groups — a family whose vision and leadership in the industry we deeply respect. This visionary project draws inspiration from the rich heritage of Iranian architecture while embracing cutting-edge contemporary technology, seamlessly integrating the traditional Muqarnas geometry—a historical system of intricate three-dimensional ornamentation—into a modern modular parametric golden facade.

Rising to 164 meters, the twin towers are visually connected through terraces and vertical gardens that create a dialogue with the surrounding mountainous landscape. The Golden Muqarnas Facade reinterprets the ancient Persian art of Muqarnas, celebrated for its spatial rhythm, depth, and geometric harmony. In this project, the traditional form is transformed into a modular, sculptural skin composed of three-dimensional golden panels that give the tower its rhythmic vertical identity. Each geometric unit serves both an aesthetic and ecological function—designed as a planter module, it integrates greenery within the façade, creating a living vertical garden. Through this synthesis, Iranian heritage is not only preserved but reimagined as a dynamic and sustainable architectural language.

The design establishes a dialogue between past and future, where tradition and innovation coexist in harmony. While its geometry recalls the timeless artistry of Persian monuments, its reinterpretation through parametric design tools and advanced materials positions the Espinas Royal Hotel as a symbol of modern progress and elegance. The golden reflective panels interact with natural light, creating a dynamic façade that shifts in tone throughout the day, while integrated greenery reinforces a biophilic connection with nature. The lower levels introduce shaded walkways and softly filtered light, enhancing the sense of arrival and hospitality at street level.
Sustainability Through Design is a core philosophy of the project. The reinterpretation of Muqarnas also serves as a climatic and environmental device: the deep geometric extrusions naturally reduce solar gain and improve shading, lowering energy demand and enhancing indoor comfort. Combined with vertical gardens and terraces, the façade performs as a natural cooling and shading system that mitigates the urban heat island effect, improves air quality, and allows for integration with renewable energy technologies. The result is an architectural landmark that embodies both beauty and environmental intelligence.
The façade system is conceived as a modular and efficient construction, designed for streamlined fabrication and adaptable variation. Each unit features contrasting finishes that accentuate the interplay between the internal and external faces of the geometry. At night, the façade transforms into a luminous sculpture—selected modules become light boxes, while linear LED accents highlight the geometric depth, creating a refined glow. The mirrored configurations allow endless variation, ensuring that the towers maintain a dynamic and iconic presence both day and night.

Beyond its architectural innovation, the Espinas Royal Hotel project marks a defining moment for Iranian hospitality. Designed as the first hotel to blend modern Iranian-Islamic architecture with advanced global standards, the complex benefits from an extraordinary location in Tehran’s Velenjak area—offering panoramic views of the city and the Alborz Mountains. Its strategic access from Daneshjoo Boulevard ensures connectivity to major highways while remaining distant from the congestion and pollution of the city center.

Occupying an area of 8,900 square meters, the complex comprises two main sections—residential and exhibition—designed to interact harmoniously despite their structural separation. The exhibition area includes four floors accessed from the south (Daneshjoo Boulevard), while the residential section is accessed from the north (Alborz Street) and the support section from the west (Alaleh Street). Together, they form a cohesive environment that functions efficiently for diverse user needs. The hotel also includes 1,200 parking spaces with a taxi station inside the complex, ensuring optimal service and accessibility.
The residential section consists of 954 rooms, combining short-term and long-term stays across two 30-story towers. One tower operates as a traditional hotel, while the other offers serviced apartments for extended stays. Two five-story bridges connect the towers, hosting shared spaces filled with natural light and interior greenery to create a distinctive spatial experience for guests. Green terraces on the roofs of these bridges provide public spaces with panoramic views. The seventh floor of the first bridge is dedicated entirely to mechanical and electrical installations and hotel support. Additional hotel services are distributed throughout the ground, twelfth, and twenty-third floors—featuring the lobby, reception, lounges, cafés, and elevators on the ground floor; restaurants and terraces on the twelfth floor; and sports facilities, including swimming pools, spas, and separate gyms for men and women, on the twenty-third floor. These facilities are also accessible to visitors through indirect connections to the commercial areas, while the green roofs offer unique views and open access to the public.
The exhibition section connects its different levels (from the second to the fifth floor) through escalators and elevators, ensuring smooth circulation. Floors two to four host 41 exhibition showrooms ranging from 120 to 600 square meters, totaling 15,500 square meters of usable exhibition space. The first floor serves as a multifunctional area housing conference halls, ceremonial venues, and meeting rooms, providing services to both residential and exhibition areas as needed. To support these functions, six parking levels with a total capacity of 942 units are incorporated. These levels also house hotel and commercial support facilities, installation spaces, car wash and service areas, separate storage rooms, truck-loading docks, cargo elevators, and waste management areas.

Ultimately, the Espinas Royal Hotel – Golden Muqarnas Façade stands as a landmark where cultural heritage, innovation, and sustainability converge. By reinterpreting the ancient Persian geometry of Muqarnas through modern design logic, MASK Architects have created a living symbol of Iranian identity—an architectural masterpiece that transcends ornamentation to embody the essence of national pride. This project not only redefines Tehran’s skyline but also stands as a tribute to Iran’s timeless architectural legacy and a beacon of its visionary future.