Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has completed the façade and interior design of a 10-storey Hotel near Tokyo’s Skytree Observation Tower. Conceived as an “Art exhibit”, ONE@tokyo is located in Oshiage — an area which combines the historic feeling of the country’s edo era with a lively sense of Tokyo’s modern metropolis. At ground level, Kuma and his team have installed a dynamic lattice of timber planks that refers to the factories found in the region’s downtown district.

ONE@tokyo’s main lounge is found behind this façade, where a versatile 15-meter-long counter links the reception area to the restaurant and bar. Designed as a “forest in the sky”, the hotel’s rooftop includes an outdoor lounge where guests can take in views of the adjacent skytree, surrounded by plants and other vegetation. Here, Kengo Kuma has again referenced the area’s industrial past with another series of timber boards that serve as both a screen and a textural backdrop.

The hotel’s 142 guest rooms continue this industrial theme with suites and lofts designed to establish a contemporary “downtown atmosphere”. Located on the uppermost storey, the “atelier” suite resembles an artist’s workshop, while the “library” suite has been created as a private space for book lovers. “Loft” rooms on the building’s upper levels feature large windows with sweeping views, while “studios” throughout the complex offer a minimal aesthetic with exposed ceilings and structural plywood.

Design: Kengo Kuma
Photography: Keishin Horikoshi / SS Tokyo

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/kengo-kuma-one-tokyo-hotel-japan-07-25-2017/