A sweeping dragon mural, interior metal scaffolding and skateboards transformed into tables may not sound like typical hotel décor – unless you happen to have crossed the threshold of BnA Studio Akihabara, a new artist-designed hotel located on a quiet lane in eastern Tokyo.
Housed in a neat grey corner building, the property has a ground floor co-working space, along with five ‘concept art' guestrooms that have each been created by a Japanese artist. There is sunlight-flooded Athletic Park by Studiobowl’s interior artist Ryohei Murakami – with its rainbow pops of colour, metal scaffolding and a yellow staircase leading to a hovering bed platform.
Upstairs is Responder by 81 Bastards (whose members include six painters, a tattoo artist, a photographer, a videographer and a DJ), with a hyper-detailed mural fluidly spanning walls and ceiling. While just next door, the black-walled Hailer, by the same collective, showcases a subtly subversive modern take on traditional Japanese décor.
The Zen Garden suite – by 51.3 G-Wave – is on the top floor, complete with a violet fluoro light depicting the Japanese kanji symbol for ‘zen’, a metal fence cutting the space in two and a small Japanese rock garden. The rooms may be experimental showcases of contemporary art but they are rooted in comfort: each has its own spacious bathroom, a small kitchen and a washer-dryer machine.
This property is the latest – and the biggest – in a string of projects masterminded by BnA (short for bed and art) since it launched in 2015 with the opening of a popular Air BnB ‘art room’ in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district.
Since then, the group has unveiled a machiya art house in Kyoto and the two-room BnA Hotel Koenji in Tokyo. Meanwhile, plans are underway for larger-scale hotels in both cities.
Among the five 'concept art' guestrooms, there is the sunlight-flooded Athletic Park by studioBOWL
The room is defined by rainbow pops of colour, metal scaffolding and a yellow staircase leading to a hovering bed platform
The black-walled Hailer, by a collective called 81 BASTARDS (whose members include six painters, a tattoo artist, a photographer, a videographer and a DJ) showcases a subtly subversive modern take on traditional Japanese décor
The Zen Garden suite - by 51.3 G-WAVE – is on the top floor, complete with a violet fluoro light depicting the Japanese kanji symbol for 'zen', a metal fence cutting the space in two and a small Japanese rock garden
The rooms may be experimental showcases of contemporary art but they are rooted in comfort: each has its own spacious bathroom, a small kitchen and a washer-dryer machine
ADDRESS
6-3-3 Sotokanda
Chiyoda-ku
-
Kim Jones on his spectacular Dior show set, which saw models appear from the floorKim Jones’ show set for his latest Dior menswear collection in Paris saw a series of lifts make models appear from – and disappear into – panels in the floor
-
Škoda’s flagship EV is given a design twist to turn it into a compact camper
The Škoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal all-electric camper is a clever piece of packaging from the brand, ready for festival season
-
Filicudi gallery hosts exhibition of Barber Osgerby’s designs
The tiny Italian island of Filicudi hosts an exhibition of new and archival works by Barber Osgerby, including the studio's first collaboration with a weaver
-
Tokyo’s Bellustar Hotel combines minimalist interiors with great views of the city
Bellustar Tokyo is a new hotel spanning the top nine floors of the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower in the neon-lit Shinjuku district
-
Bulgari Hotel Tokyo showcases the Italian art of living in Japan
The new Bulgari Hotel Tokyo unites the consummate craftsmanship of Italy and Japan
-
‘Where To Now’: Zara and Wallpaper* launch offbeat travel guides
Zara and Wallpaper’s ‘Where To Now’ travel guides launch with five off-the-beaten-track adventures, from California to Naoshima, for armchair and actual explorers, available to buy now
-
Kyoto's Maana Kiyomizu boutique hotel is the epitome of modern craftsmanship
Maana Homes’ latest boutique hotel with a twist opens in Kyoto, including suites, a café, and a shop specialising in modern Japanese craftsmanship
-
Kai Yufuin by Kengo Kuma revisits Japanese farmhouse architecture
Hoshino Resorts has launched Kai Yufuin, a hot spring ryokan hotel by Kengo Kuma on the island of Kyushu in the Ōita Prefecture
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
-
Teruhiro Yanagihara creates terroir-inspired interiors for new restaurant Sower in Japan
Sower, the new Japanese restaurant on Lake Biwa, features a minimalist design and a material palette inspired by its surroundings
-
Kengo Kuma’s Ace Hotel Kyoto opens in a converted telephone office
Discover the design details of Asia's first Ace Hotel, as realised by architect Kengo Kuma and Commune Design
