Press Release
Naoto Doi and Koji Yamanaka Receives the A' Design Award for Kyotology Hotel in Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
Naoto Doi and Koji Yamanaka recognized for hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ Kyotology Hotel by Naoto Doi and Koji Yamanaka, designed for Cosmos More, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Kyotology Hotel
The book “In Praise of Shadows” by Junichiro Tanizaki and research about traveller’s behaviors in Kyoto formed foundation of this project. Tanizaki stated that Japanese blessed shadows over the light throughout history which lead to Japanese traditional architecture such as intertwining exterior and interior. The research showed travellers in Kyoto are highly interested in its culture and history, therefore the team set “Unwind and Explore” as a concept and created a hotel where the guests are encouraged to learn, experience and relax.
About Naoto Doi and Koji Yamanaka
At GOOD PLACE, a unique design method called "Scene Design" is utilized. This approach entails the conceptualization and user experience of a space, which is then defined as a "scene." By aligning our practice with the business activities of our clients and envisioning the future users of the spaces we design, we implement a design approach that proposes specific spaces as solutions. We believe that by designing like this, more and better space gets created in the world.
Award Record
Naoto Doi and Koji Yamanaka is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Award
The A' Hospitality Design Award is an international hospitality design competition recognizing good hospitality designs by best hospitality designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to hospitality designers, architects, hospitality brands and hotel chains from all countries. Typical entries include hotels, restaurants, resorts, cafes, bars and cruise ships. The awarded hospitality designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/hospitality
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/118089
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/118089
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!118089
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/298344
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://kyotology.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Kyotology Hotel
- Function
- Hotel
- Category
- Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
- Discipline
- Service Design
- Industry
- Food & Hospitality and Sports
- Colors
- Dark Slate Blue, Black, Dark Slate Gray and Dark Olive Green
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Cosmos More
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Naoto Doi and Koji Yamanaka
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2020 - 2021
- Design ID
- #118089
Credits
- Team
- Naoto Doi - Cosmos More, Koji Yamanaka - GENETO Architects Office, Mitsuteru Nakada - GENETO Architects Office and Asako Yamashita - GENETO Architects Office
- Image Credits
- Cosmos More
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- As the number of hotel rooms had increased 400% since 2012, majorities are focused more on its capacity which did not have the local culture nor history. Therefore we felt an urge to create a place where tourists can experience traditional accommodation of Kyoto. The hotel initiates the local economic system by attracting curious users. Intertwining exterior and interior especially placing the inner garden in every room makes this brand established.
- Inspiration
- In the book "In Praise of Shadows" Tanizaki stated the conceptual base of Japanese architectural beauty lies in shadows. Japanese cherish shadows over the history of its cultural development, and we translate its concept into modern architecture. By intertwining exterior and interior, and garden and concrete, shadows began to shine. Another inspiration was the local people who were eager to reactivate the local economy by collaborating with the local designers, constructors, and shop owners.
- Research
- First of all, our R&D team researched about the history of the site and Kyoto. The area around the site was located close to Zen temple, and it has been left out from urban development of the city. Volume of travellers in Kyoto, popular tourist attractions, travelling patterns and many more elements were researched. Secondly, we visited the site and the former owner. The owner used to live at the site with his family for generations in a classical Japanese style house with a well-maintained garden. As soon as we saw the original site, we knew that we had to keep the original vibes. Thirdly, the team visited local shops and restaurants to look for potential partnerships.
- Challenge
- It is common for a government to set landscape regulations to maintain the historical view of the city, and Kyoto city also sets various and precise rules mainly for color of facade, height of the building and usage of the balcony/rooftop. Since Kyoto city added more rules to the regulations while we were planning, we were forced to be flexible and let go of some of the design details. Architectural regulation made it really difficult to place the inner garden; we had to think carefully about balancing between architectural structure, livable environment for plants in the garden, and comfort of the guests.
- Realization and Technology
- Vertical lines that are created by standing seam roofs emphasize changing shadows during the day. High edge roof end is a symbol of Sukiyazukuri style which is a common style for a building exclusively used for a Japanese tea ceremony. We surveyed neighbors’ window levels to avoid direct eye contact between users and neighbors. By adjusting window placements from neighbors, users could feel secure and private while staying in the guest rooms.
- Operation and Interaction
- As soon as the guest arrive, they go through Noren at the gate to enter the site before entering the building which used to mean that they are entring a commercial space. The guests walk through lobby/lounge area, then they proceed to the front desk to check in. After check in, they proceed to the corridor lightened up with dim traditional lantern shaped room signs.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in January 2018 in Kyoto and Tokyo Japan.
- Specifications
- Width 24053mm x Depth 10090mm Site area: 295.04sqm Total floor space: 485.11sqm
- Keywords
- Kyoto, garden, Shadow, architecture, heritage, local economy
