Hotel Ninja Black, Kyoto City Accommodation Building, Japanese Architecture Project, Interior Photos

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

New Accommodation Architecture Development in Japan – design by Eastern Design Office, Architects

5 Jul 2019

Ninja Black Kyoto Hotel

Architect: Eastern Design Office

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City Hotel Ninja Black Kyoto City

This architecture is about “shadow”. It’s a hotel named Ninja Black.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City by Eastern Design Office Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City design by Eastern Design Office

The site is located in the city center of Kyoto, just west of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, in an area populated with houses, small shops, apartment buildings, and hotels. Eastern Design Office planned a small hotel of five floors with 21 rooms, on a plot of land typical in Kyoto, nine meters wide by 35 meters deep.

The client for the design is from the nearby city of Kouga, known for centuries as home to ninja. He may well even be a descendant of ninja.

New Accommodation Architecture in Japan by Eastern Design Office, Architects

New Japanese Accommodation by Eastern Design Office

What does “ninja” mean for us in this design? Throughout their history, ninja have always lived in, and been associated with, “shadow”, where they can’t be seen, yet can still perform their role. Thus, this hotel’s design concept of “shadow” was born: mysterious, shadowy, and silent, yet with a strong presence.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City New Japanese Building by Eastern Design Office

The facade, with more shadow than substance, is designed to evoke the idea that a ninja could be hiding anywhere. The entire facade is covered by “koushi”, Japanese style louvers. Eaves are also added above the first, second, and top floors, but the strong impression of the facade comes from the koushi.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

The entire facade is actually made with two layers of koushi, each with an alternating V-shape pattern, offset from each other by half a span, to deepen the sense of shadow.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

Each individual louver is painted brown on one side, and black on the face and the other side, such that when approaching the hotel from the east, the facade appears to be brown, but as you arrive, the brown fades and the whole building appears to be black.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

The interior is designed around the concept of “darkness”, as much as can be practically done for a modern hotel.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

Visitors experience tricks of ninja in this hotel. For example, the floor of the lobby, right at the front desk, holds an “otoshiana”, a deep pit with 50 sharpened spikes at the bottom. Of course, it’s covered with thick glass so that it becomes part of the flooring, but the customer will be surprised as they come across it as they prepare to check in.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

As the customer approaches the front desk, they see no staff… just a solid wall of gold leaf. But suddenly, a ninja appears via a “kakushi tobira”, an invisible swinging door that opens and melts back into the wall as quickly as the ninja (front-desk staff) silently materializes.

“Shuriken” (throwing stars) are stuck ornamentally on the walls in the hotel.

“Damashie” (optical-illusion pictures) of ninja silhouettes are, from time to time, suddenly projected onto the wall of the main first-floor passage way.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

Hotel staff are dressed as ninja.

The inside of each hotel-room door includes a life-size silhouette of a ninja, as if they are sneaking into your room.

You will certainly feel “ninja” in this hotel.

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City

Hotel Ninja Black, Kyoto – Building Information

Architect: Eastern Design Office
Client: ICHIKA Corporation
Completed: 2019
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Usage: Hotel
Site area: 322 sqm
Total floor area: 695 sqm
Structural Engineering: Ihara Structure Design Studio
Constructor: Soushin Kensetsu Co., Ltd.

Photographers: Koichi Torimura, Jeffrey Friedl, Takashi Inaizumi

Hotel Ninja Black in Kyoto City images / information received 050719

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