“Kasui-en, The Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto” which we worked on, won the 12th Architectural Award for Excellence in Seismic Retrofitting in FY2022.
 
■About the Architectural Award for Excellence in Seismic Retrofitting
The purpose of this award is to contribute to the promotion of seismic retrofitting of existing buildings in Japan and the formation of a sound building stock by recognizing and widely announcing awards to existing buildings that have undergone seismic retrofitting and that are particularly excellent in terms of earthquake resistance, disaster prevention and safety, and design, and to persons (individuals or organizations) who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of seismic retrofitting of buildings and the development of seismic retrofit technology.
 
Organized by Japan Building Disaster Prevention Association (JBDPA)
 
URL of the detailed results of judging for the 12th Excellent Building Award for Seismic Retrofitting in FY2022：https://www.kenchiku-bosai.or.jp/hyousyou/kekka2022/

 
■THE WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO Guestroom
“Design Concept”
Based on motto, “The Queen of Elegance”, both the east hall and the main hall were designed to reflect the nature of Kyoto and Higashiyama mountains by incorporating the texture of wood, expressing the elegance and softness in sinuous lines.

The guest rooms in the east hall are imbued with calmness, for instance a carpet inspired by the cool ambience of the riverbed (“Kawadoko”) in the summer and a stool shaped as a plum blossom using traditional motifs that are often referred to in kyoto-esque poems. The guest rooms of the main building based on the main colors themes of the fresh green foliage at Nanzenji Temple and terracotta colour of the aqueduct, “Suirokaku Water Bridge” creating an elegant modern space that reflects the fusion of “Taisho Roman & Modern” style which pays homage to the villa in the Nanzenji region which were popular during Meiji to early Showa period.

The number of guest rooms was reduced from 499 to 266 keys, by expanding the average area per room from approximately 35sq.m to 50sq.m thus offering a more luxurious room size centered around the suites.In so doing, all bathrooms were renewed, and they all have an independent washroom to ensure a generous space.With this renewal, the former hotel has re-establish itself as a luxury hotel in Kyoto, one of the most famous and highly competitive tourist destinations, befitting its position as “The Queen of Elegance” realized in reality thanks to the major renovation.

Project More Info：
https://www.kkstokyo.co.jp/en-works/cate/interiors/2615/
 
■THE WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO SPA “KACHO”
“Design Concept”
The hotel having been established 130 years ago, has a very long history in retaining much of the spirit of architect, Togo Murano’s elegant and graceful design.
The theme for this hotel’s major renovation, which began in 2018, is ‘Queen of Elegance’, including the final areas of this particular renovation is the existing indoor pool and the guest rooms on the upper floors to be integrated into a spa and spa facility.
The site is located in Nanzenji area near a group of villas on the hillside east of central Kyoto, where pioneering cultural figures of the time in the Meiji era moved to as their retreat destination. Additional, Nanzenji Temple itself also boasts an elegantly Western-oriented design of the Waterway Pavilion (Suido-kaku ) built in the same era.
As such the main design theme this time round has also incorporated western oriented designs as its main motif with natural landscape set as the backdrop to depict the mountain ridges seen from the slope on the site.
The water from the Biwako Sosui Canal, which was drawn from this pavilion, is still partially used in the existing hotel today, making it a very familiar and unique feature to of the hotel and the new spa facility also has a semi-open-air bath that new which connected directly to the nature outside.
For the renovation of the former guest room floor, where the new spa reception is located, we focused mainly on not making the limited ceiling height to be so impactful but instead making it feel more grand in essence.
The entire interior is wood-grained to evoke a sense of natural healing and of luxury.
From the entrance lobby, a large staircase leads down to the lower floor, where the drinks lounge is located along with changing rooms both male and female further down the passage.
The theme colors of the men’s and women’s changing rooms are separated by the seasonal colours of the maple, “tokomidori,” in green and “tokomomiji” in red respectively with polished black floor to mimic the reflection seen on the Japanese lacquered floors at Ruriko-Temple in Kyoto, where similarly seasonal changes to the foliage are indeed reflected by the lustrous floor in early summer and autumn.
The interior of the hot spring baths are also boldly curved to express the elegance and beauty of nature. In the semi-open-air bath, the form of a waterway pavilion is placed on the wall, and the pond and plants outside the bath are effectively incorporated to create a space where one can feel a sense of unity with the surrounding landscape.

Project More Info：
https://www.kkstokyo.co.jp/en-works/cate/interiors/2806/

Photo：Forward Stroke Inc.