Design Approach
An existing 3-story building in Nishi-ku, Kujo, was fully reconfigured into a wa-modern boutique hotel inflected by Kyoto machiya tradition. The ground floor became dining-and-lobby; floors 2-3 became guest rooms. The brief was to give overseas visitors 'everyday Japan' as a stay experience. Traditional materials — tatami, shoji, copper vessels, hanging scrolls — were translated into contemporary form, putting fading craftsmanship into every corner. The narrow-lot constraint became the strength: dense, layered Japanese atmosphere in a small footprint.
Challenge & approach
Challenge
An ageing three-storey building on a tight plot — a mere clean-up would give no reason to be chosen in Osaka's crowded lodging market.
Approach
Rebuilt as a single-story-line machiya hotel: dining-lobby on the first floor, guest rooms above, with tatami, shoji, copperware and hanging scrolls translated into contemporary rooms.
Outcome
Guests review it as "feeling like really being in Japan"; per the owner, occupancy beat projections within six months of opening.
Client's Voice
Instead of merely tidying up the old three-story building, the team rebuilt it as a machiya hotel with one continuous world view. Tatami, shoji, copper vessels and hanging scrolls all sit naturally in the contemporary rooms. Overseas guests now leave reviews saying "this is what coming to Japan feels like." Six months in, occupancy is already above plan and our overseas guests have been consistently positive.