Stones From Japanese Hot Springs Cover The Façade of This Small Hotel in Japan | Kengo Kuma And Associates

Christened, Kusatsu Kimuraya, this small hotel in Gunma Prefecture, Japan features a unique façade with small stones on its exterior walls. Designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates, the building grabs attention with its raw and stunning exterior. Read more about the project below at SURFACES REPORTER (SR):

Also Read: Kengo Kuma Designs First Residential Tower In The United States

Located in the famous Kusatsu Onsen (hot spring) in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, this small single-room facility or a small hotel features a wonderful façade with small stones projected from its exterior wall. The project floors are covered with tatami. 

Captivating dark surface 

The two-story building features arresting curved walls with dark surfaces. While the small portion of the façade is designed with glass to allow light to enter in. 

The upper floor of the structure comprises a sleeping space that is reached via a small outer staircase.

Material palette

The firm used Asama stone-which is found in nearby hot springs- to construct the façade of the structure that gives a three-dimensional landscape. 

The first floor of the hotel contains a restaurant that overlooks the noteworthy hot spring fields. Thus the façade of the structure complement the landscape . Further to blend it completely with the landscape, the firm applied curve geometries that resonate with the soft flow of steam rising from the hot springs and presides how we managed the use of local materials.

Also Read: Kengo Kuma Designed Wooden Stepped Garden in the Sloped Roof of This Student Exchange Hub in Tokyo

"By incorporating material and geometrical elements of Yubatake hot springs throughout the building, we condensed the materiality of the historic town of Kusatsu in this small building," said Kengo Kuma and Associates.

Inside, the firm used local materials such as Japanese washi paper mixed with crushed local stones and Asama stone terrazzo. To give a complete feel of its landscape, the tiles that are used for the floor of the hot spring fields, are used in the wet areas.

Project Details

Project name: Kusatsu Kimuraya
Architecture firm: Kengo Kuma and Associates
Location: Gunma Prefecture, Japan. 
Size: 123m2
Team: Minoru Yokoo, Yutaro Ota, Nanako Adachi, Shoki An, Yoo Shiho, Junlin Chen 
Cooperation: Akira Suzuki Architect 
Accumulation: Futaba Quantity Surveyors
Photos courtesy: Kawasumi-Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office.

Keep reading SURFACES REPORTER for more such articles and stories.

Join us in SOCIAL MEDIA to stay updated

SR FACEBOOK | SR LINKEDIN | SR INSTAGRAM | SR YOUTUBE

Further, Subscribe to our magazine Sign Up for the FREE Surfaces Reporter Magazine Newsletter

You may also like to read about:

Sameep Padora & Associates Used Black Limestone in the Construction of the Stepped Temple in Andhra Pradesh

Carbonado Residence 1 by 23DC Architects Exudes The Charm of Black Diamond | Panipat | Haryana

Kengo Kuma’s Timber-Wrapped Tower in Sydney, Australia | The Exchange

and more…

×

Post Your Comment


"Content that powers your Business. News that keeps you informed."

Surfaces Reporter is one of India's leading media in Print & Digital Telecast for News on Interiors & Architecture Projects, Products, Building Materials, and the Business of Design! Since 2011, it serves as a referral for designers & architects to know about inspiring projects and source new products. If you have a Product or Project worth publishing in Surfaces Reporter, please email us hello@surfacesreporter.com or you can also submit your project online.

Like Surfaces Reporter on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and Instagram | Subscribe to our magazine | Sign Up for the FREE Surfaces Reporter Magazine Newsletter

Inside Zaha Hadid Architects’ Lotus-Inspired Navi Mumbai Airport Terminal

Awarded after an international design competition in 2018, NMIA is Zaha Hadid Architects’ most significant Indian commission to date and one of its largest airport projects globally.

Read more

Step Inside this Concrete and Terracotta Vaults Home that Shapes Modern Living in Ahmedabad

The architectural concept is both simple and profound. The structure is composed of three parallel exposed RCC vaults, which give the home its name and distinct identity.

Read more

Step Inside this Cave-Like Cafe Inspired by Earth, Light and Time | Mocha Cafe by Loop Design Studio

Spread across 7,000sqft in Pune, the cafe draws inspiration from the raw majesty of ancient quarries and the sculpted cave dwellings reminiscent of the dwarves of Moria.

Read more

Rammed Earth, Timber and Local Materials Come Together to Redefine this African School Design

This model uses spatial design as a guide for structuring learning, creating a sequence of environments that encourage exploration, imagination and connection with nature.

Read more


This is alt