Introduction
K5 Tokyo, housed in a converted 1920s bank building, sits beside the Tokyo Stock Exchange and connects the traditional Imperial Palace area with hip Eastern Tokyo.
The Japanese word ‘Aimai’ guides K5 Tokyo’sconcept. It means vague, obscure or ambiguous, which in Japanese is often used in a positive, poetic sense. (The term denotes the benefits of erasing borders.)K5 Tokyo’s functions intentionally intermingle: The library is the bar, while the coffeeshop doubles as a lounge, which flows into a wine bar and restaurant.
The Tokyo NihonbashiKabutochoneighbourhood’s relative lack of greenery inspired the creation of a ‘green oasis’ in K5 Tokyo. A multitude of potted plants spread out, aimaifashion, throughout the interiors. The hotel has a gardener but no traditional garden.
More than a hotel, K5 Tokyo emerges full force as a micro-complex of creative eateries, bars, gathering spots, and Swedish-minimalism-meets-Japanese-heritage design.
The palette consists of traditional materials such as concrete, cedar wood and Japanese stucco. Complemented by a wide range of furniture and accessories, custom designed by the architects.
The guest rooms are characterised by the inclusion of a central, translucent fabric ‘cylinder’ rising to the high ceiling. It envelops a freestanding bed with integrated shelf and desk. Other furnishings are placed like ‘satellites’ while the walls are kept free.
K5 Tokyo presents 20 generously-sized rooms (most around 40m2 and the ‘Loft’ suite at 78m2); celebrated Nordic and Japanese fusion cuisine at Cavemanrestaurant; theBrooklyn Brewery beer hall; Ao, a cocktail and tea bar with a Chinese-medicine-meets-mixology philosophy that flows forth in natural cocktails; hand-brewed coffee at Switch Coffeeshop; and an abundance of greenery by Yardworksplant specialist. This is a creative microcosm of the city, crafted by those not afraid to break barriers. Independent minds welcome.
The architects’ description:
Background
Through a mutual long-term friendship with legendary Tokyo design entrepreneur Teruo Kurosaki, we (Claesson Koivisto Rune Architects) were contacted by Akihiro Matsui (Mediasurf Communications Co.), Takahiro Homa (Backpackers’ Japan Co.) and Yuta Oka (Insitu Japan Co.) to present a concept for the new K5 Tokyo in NihonbashiKabutocho, Tokyo. The three companies have jointly established Ferment Co. for managing the K5 Tokyo project.
From Ferment, a brief was outlined. Describing, rather wittily, not the hotel functions but its character would the hotel have been a man:
He is not famous.
He is retired, 60-65
He is not fancy but wears a three-piece suit
He is very calm, generous and social
He is always smiling
He used to work in the financial business
He used to travel a lot
He is sophisticated and likes real materials
He likes to listen to jazz and funk on vinyl
He goes swimming once a week
He goes swimming once a year abroad
His dream is to cross the Atlantic Ocean alone on a yacht
From this brief to inauguration – via design conception, planning and construction – only 14 months elapsed. It must be said that in any project of this magnitude this is a short time-span. Yet the result is a coherent (and sometimes deliberately disparate) whole, not sparing any details. This would not have been possible with the dedication of us as architects alone, but above all the ‘everything-is-possible’ attitude of all involved – management, restaurant and bar operators, suppliers, builders and master craftsmen.
Thanks also to local architect Kotaro Anzai (ADX Co.).
The building
Originally erected in 1923 as the Dai-ichi Bank Building,the structure survived the WWII fire-bombing of Tokyo of 1945 due to its concrete construction. Before the hotel conversion, the empty building owned byHeiwa Real Estate Co.was labelled ‘Kashiwacho No. 5 Peace Building’ in their portfolio – hence the hotel name. K5 Tokyo contains of four floors plus basement of 400 m2 each.
The architecture is Western neoclassical with Japanese detailing and proportions, its geometry being rational, symmetrical and clear. Large window partitions face the Stock Exchange Building (entrance side, south) and what once was a river but now is a triple-level overpass (back side, north).
The ground floor was dedicated to social functions: entrance/reception, bar/library, café/wine bar/flower shop, restaurant. The floors above are the guest rooms and the basement holds a beer hall.
A few original characteristics of the interior have been retained where possible, mainly exposed concrete and a beautiful parquet floor which was restored.
Ground floor
Through the main entrance you are met by an open wood ‘box’ where staff greet and can direct you directly to your left – to the lounge/café/wine bar/restaurant which lies in integrated succession. Or to the right – library/cocktail bar. Or straight on – to stairs/elevator for the guest rooms. Above the receptionbox hovers a large custom-made paper lamp, shaped like a wasp nest.
The original parquet hardwood floor covers most of the ground floor area, while in the entrances a custom-designed cement tile floor is laid (manufactured by Marrakech Design). The pattern in blue and grey with terracotta-coloured grouts echoes the pattern of the parquet. The walls and ceilings are of a neutral cement-grey stucco. In the restaurant, parallel green textile strips hang above your head like a forest canopy to ‘soften’ the ambience.
No frills, free-standing galvanized steel shelves subtly divide the main room’s functions and double as display and storage units. In the lounge luggage is stored side-by-side with bags of coffee beans or flowers, pots and plants – because this is also the Switch Coffee shop; this is also the Yardworks flower shop. Likewise, the Caveman (by Kabi) restaurant’s coat hangers share shelf space with wine bottles – because this is also a wine bar.
The bar counters are aligned and placed along the north side as a buffer to the overpasses behind the windows. The windows have received an inner layering of green/light blue/clear/pink, structured glass panes. A sense of moving between indoors and outdoors (although all is actually indoors), like being in a café by the Mediterranean, is prevalent.
The Ao cocktail bar shares space with the library room. In this guise it has the ambience of a hide-away ‘speak-easy’. The whole space here – ceiling, walls, wall-to-wall carpet, shelving and upholstery – is a monochrome dark red. Only exceptions being the library lamps (traditional green) and the Japanese books (traditional beige).
Basement
From a twin second street entrance – named ‘B Entrance’ – a stairwell leads you down directly to the basement Brooklyn Brewery beer hall. This function was in principal a project separated from the rest of the hotel. However, it is both a part of the complex and an integrated experience (through the stairwells it can also be reached from inside the hotel). But could through its own entrance operate its own opening hours. It was coordinated so that Claesson Koivisto Rune was the architect for both Brooklyn Brewery and Ferment Co. This is New York-based Brooklyn Brewery’s first beer hall outside of the USA.
Like in the restaurant upstairs, the bar here is also along the north wall. Formed in one length of a full 19 metres of solid glued wood, end grain up, like of the traditional butchers’ block. At its end is a dedicated DJspot.
Behind the bar all functions are in stainless steel. Other walls are clad in grey wood boards. The floor is the original construction concrete, exposed. The ceiling is equally bare.
Along the south wall is a very long, continuous, custom designed sofa (a twin to the bar) upholstered in oxblood red leather. On the wall behind (and other walls) is a Shaker-inspired peg rack on which to hang jackets or the custom designed three-legged wood stools. (Two of the legs are connected with a foot-rest bar that hangs over the pegs when turned upside down.)
The ambience is a fusion of Scandinavia (materials and colours), Japan (location and restrained detailing),Germany (the beer hall concept and the rustic treatment), and USA (brand and casualness).
Corridors
The roadway overpasses running parallel to the hotel’s back made us choose to avoid any guest rooms facing this side and instead locate the corridors here. The guest room floors are reached from the entrance and via a copper clad elevator and a cement-grey stairwell. The cement tiles from the reception floor are continued in the corridors in the same blue and grey (tiles) and terracotta (grouts) colours, but with a pattern that changes (through the laying) along the walk. The corridor is segmented with terracotta-coloured portals and each ‘compartment’ has been given its own pattern. The principle is then that this particular floor tile pattern is continued into the corresponding guest room’s entrance (and bathroom) so that the particular section of corridor can be perceived as a part of the room; as a semi-private hallway. Following a tradition of ‘intermediate space’. In the Japanese home, there is no clear demarcation between the interior and the exterior. The intermediate space consists instead of screening devices (the coloured glass panes), a veranda (the sectioned corridor) and formal entrance (entrance hall of room).
The guest room door side of the corridor is cedar wood panelled. (Entrance doors are copper-clad.) The opposing window wall has received an inner layering of blue/yellow/clear, structured glass panes, set in cedar wood railings. Below are long, custom designed benches (of composite ‘terrazzo’) acting as ‘window seats’ for potted plants.
Guest rooms
The strongest feature of the guest room is the central, translucent fabric ‘cylinder’ rising to the ceiling. It hides the bed and a custom-designed full-height dark cedar wood structure that doubles as headboard and shelf with integrated desk (behind). On the desk is a vinyl record turntable. Above the bed hangs an extra-large, custom-designed pendant paper lamp. The freestanding bed leaves the walls free and opens for a spatial room flow. When fully closed, if so desired, the curtain creates a hidden ‘oasis’ for sleeping.
The furnishings are placed like ‘satellites’ to the circular, central curtain (hand-dyed in a tilting gradient from white to Japanese indigo blue.) Two custom-designed seatings are each other’s contrast – like masculine and feminine, yin and yang, or ‘takete’ and ‘maluma’ (terms from the psychology of shape association). ‘Takete’ being a curvaceous bright red ‘love-seat’; a small sofa for two. And ‘Maluma’ a harshly angular (yet comfortable) black easy chair. In every guest room are also a couple of large freestanding potted plants, in arrangement by the dedicated hotel gardener. Larger rooms have a custom-designed carpet (manufactured by Kasthall) in a Japanese ‘Tatami’ concept where larger carpets consist of single units sewn together.
The hallway and wall to the bathroom is fully cedar wood panelled. The floor is tiled in the pattern from the corridor. The bathroom walls are tiled white and the ceiling is cedar wood. On entry you face the round bathroom mirror. The ‘lamp’ is integrated; it is the centre of the mirror-disk and its light can be changed from neutral white to bright red. (Like the sun on the Japanese flag.) Another bathroom feature is the custom-designed, black ceramic sink – sitting on a wall-to-wall, low stainless-steel bench.
Each guest room has one unique original artwork by Claesson Koivisto Rune named ‘Faciem’, from an art exhibition originally held at the legendary 360° Gallery in Tokyo, in 2017.
