The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu has conserved and re-concerned the aesthetics of Japan and design by Nomura Co., Ltd A.N.D
Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu is a renovation initiative that aimed to preserve and re-recognize the Japanese beauty of the former Kiyomizu Elementary School with a 90-year history in Kyoto. It will have 4 floors and 6,800 square meters in total floor area.
The Hotel is located on the mountain slope with picturesque views in a district with many historical sites including significant Kyoto cultural assets, which have been nurtured by eons of history.
The hotel's name combines two elements: Tokyo Kiyomizu, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, and Seiryu, a legendary guardian god of Higashiyama that embodies the spirit of this one-and-only hotel built from the remnants of an historic elementary school.
There are many delicate details in the school building. The interior of the building features not only Spanish tiles, arched windows, and double-width tiles, but also decorative haunch beams, wood spandrel walls, and mosaic tile finishing.
Design by Nomura Co., Ltd A.N.D from Japan. By combining nostalgia with newness, our team made sure to pay utmost homage to western architecture. To enhance the historic details of stairs, beams, and corridors, an inorganic, black-and-white, and semi-glossy material was selected.
The Design Team converted gymnasiums and auditoriums formerly used by schoolchildren into restaurants and spas. A significant rooftop bar has been reborn on the former roof of the school building which overlooks Kyoto city. Guests can experience the old times by viewing the same Yasaka Pagoda, scenic mountains and city of Kyoto that former school children looked at.
The A.N.D team designed a space where guests can view photographs, documents, and records from the elementary school's history in order to realize the concept of "Imprint memories and connect to the future." The assemblance of spaces re-assigned with different stories creates a resounding "heritage hotel" where history, culture, and architecture come together.
This project plays an instrumental role in how we view the future for future generations, both according to the design team and the hotel. In this way, Japanese culture is passed on to them as well as their sense of regionality and sociality from their parents.
Designer Profiles
Left: 株式会社乃村工藝社 A.N.D. 小坂竜 Ａ.Ｎ.Ｄ., Nomura Co., Ltd. Ryu Kosaka
Top Left: 株式会社乃村工藝社 A.N.D. 浦田 晶平 Ａ.Ｎ.Ｄ., Nomura Co., Ltd. Shohei Urata
Top Right: 株式会社乃村工藝社 A.N.D. 安田 紘基 Ａ.Ｎ.Ｄ., Nomura Co., Ltd. Hiroki Yasuda
Lower Left: 株式会社乃村工藝社 萠抜 徹 Nomura Co., Ltd. Toru Haenuki
Lower right: 株式会社乃村工藝社 西川 裕之 Nomura Co., Ltd. Hiroyuki Nishikawa
This project won the Bronze award in the interior design division of Sky Design Awards www.skydesignawards.com in 2021.
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