Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo

【Overview】

Kyoto is famously one of Japan's leading historical and cultural cities and is also well-known as an international tourist destination.

The facade design was inspired by Kyoto's traditional "Kyo-machiya" architecture, and the five-story building was planned as a "modern machiya”, based on the theme of the gap between the exterior and interior.



【Design Concept】

The theme of the interior design of the main space is "Onshochishin" (warmth, nostalgia, and newness that Kyoto has nurtured over a long period of time), mixed with inorganic modern industrial materials such as concrete and deck plates, and materials and furnishings such as bare bulbs and a big table made of old lumber that is over 100 years old, with an awareness of sustainability. The building expresses the future that will allow the newness that Kyoto has to develop.

After passing the facade, a huge touch screen appears in front of guests, where they can check information about Sanjo in real time.

The artwork, which covers an entire wall, is a collage of works by artists with ties to Kyoto Sanjo and was completed with the help of a local gold leaf craftsman, a true mixture of old and new. In addition, the stacked wooden block artwork, which is based on the image of the four gods that protect the east, west, south, north, and west of Kyoto, symbolizes Kyoto and abstracts it, spicing up the space and adding variety.

The result is a one-of-a-kind space where visitors can feel the modern traditions and culture unique to Kyoto while also experiencing firsthand the sophistication of modern art design.

In designing the space for "Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo", we at Garde have succeeded in creating visible objects (architecture) and invisible objects (added value) in the field of architecture by creating spaces that combine both design and functionality.