atelier satoshi takijiri + OHA renovate a kyoto machiya into hotel with internal garden

atelier satoshi takijiri and OHArchitecture have renovated a traditional machiya (wooden townhouse) in kyoto, japan, and transformed its two adjacent volumes into a hotel with an internal garden. the two units share a single, dark-hued façade, which makes them appear as one single building. inside, the project comprises a front and a back yard, which offer guests the luxury of enjoying their own open garden and sky above it while being in the middle of a densely-built city.all images by atsushi shiotani

‘I wanted to convey the appearance of japan to travelers from all over the world in this space,’ explains satoshi takijiri, founder and lead architect of atelier satoshi takijiri architects. the two-building hotel preserves the aesthetic qualities of a traditional kyoto machiya, and combines those with minimalist modern spatial elements. an interior space enclosing all living functions is ‘sandwiched’ between the front and back yards of the project – a characteristic unique to the architecture of kyoto machiya. large floor-to-ceiling windows in the interior space create a constant relationship with the surrounding environment and offer guests the chance to enjoy the nature of the garden and the sky above it.

the floor, which appears to float above the gravel of the garden, acts like a porch to connect the front yard to the back yard, while it also extends from the interior to the exterior spaces. inside, the narrow lounge and living room offer a quite, minimal atmosphere with views toward the garden. as the floor extends from the inside to the outside, it forms an engawa (a bordered floor that runs along the outside of the building in japanese architecture), which connects guests to the exterior environment.

project info:

name: mibu hotel

architect: atelier satoshi takijiri architects /satoshi takijiri + OHArchitecture

main use: hotel

location: kyoto, japan

type: renovation