Upsetters Inc.

Hotel Nuts

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

HOTEL NUTS

Upsetters Architects: Upsetters Architects / Shuzo Okabe

ARCHITECTS
Upsetters Architects: Upsetters Architects / Shuzo Okabe

PHOTOGRAPHS
Yusuke Wakabayashi

AREA
141.0 m2

YEAR
2009

LOCATION
Japan

CATEGORY
Interiors Architecture

Text description provided by architect.

The hotel is conveniently located, which is just 10 minutes walk from Shinjuku Station and on the side of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Its bilingual staff serves the overseas visitors very well.

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

To invite more customers from other countries, an universal room was required.

The other three rooms were needed to be capable of accommodating much more people per room to meet the demands of families and youth.

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

We attempted to create a special Japanese space balancing the Japan-ness, the element of Japan-style room, delighting overseas customers and its history and memory accumulated there.

We focused on three points. First of all, some of the walls, which were carefully selected considering the sense of touch and natural light, are exposed.

In addition, “sumi”s, markings for construction guidance, were deliberately left. Finally, the minimum Japan-style elements,

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

The light well in the universal room and the tatami floors of the others, were added. Consequently, it became extremely Japanese and people can feel its unique stateliness and tenseness there.

The reason why tatami flooring was chosen was that people can utilise the floor in various ways by putting futon down and away.

To advance its tenseness, hemmed tatamis were arranged together with vinyl flooring.

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

Although it was just one floor that we concerned, the balance with the other floors also had to be considered.

To achieve the balance as a whole, the design of its lift floor was not completely changed but just adjusted. To achieve the balance as a whole, the design of its lift floor was not completely changed but just adjusted.

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

Instead, to make the entrance impressive, the wooden gate was installed on the boundary between the lift floor and the corridor.

The ceiling of the common corridor is covered with the 7-metre-long work by Shun Kawakami, an artist.

Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi

Additionally, the effective lighting design makes the artwork stand out and their combination raises people’s expectation of the guest rooms.


Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi
Hotel Nuts
© Yusuke Wakabayashi


Hotel Nuts
Floor plan

Upsetters Inc.
T +81 357 755775 F +81 3 57755776
Upsetters Inc.
2F, 3-54-4 Sendagaya, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo 151-0051, Japan