HOTEL KANRA KYOTO

HOTEL KANRA Kyoto is established under the mission that all guests KAN (meaning "to experience" in Japanese) the spirit of RA ("City of Kyoto") where the beauty, wisdom, and hospitality of Japan are embraced. A former educational facility is converted into a hotel that houses 39 guest rooms, a café & shop, 2 restaurants, and a spa. Respecting the facility’s existing shell, guest rooms adopted Machiya-style: a traditional architectural style of Kyoto’s townhouses with a narrow frontage stretching deep into the lot. Holding "Heritage and Innovation" as its concept, this project utilized traditional materials and techniques, and simultaneously proposed new ways of their use in contemporary design: Kyoyaki ceramics, Nishijin brocade, and Kyo-karakami paper to name a few. Besides immutably essential materials such as wood, soil, stone, and iron, the employment of Kyoto's artisanal techniques and authentic crafts constitutes a hotel space with Japanese subtleness that resonates with people's hearts.