Mizno Hotel is a "hotel on the lake" situated on a mountain slope overlooking Lake Kawaguchi. With the support of its guests, the hotel has stayed in business for over half a century. But with its facilities' aging undeniable, the hotel underwent a large-scale renovation. Part of the building had areas that fell short of legal standards, and the non-compliant points were downsized. Retaining the flavor of a cozy, small atmosphere that the previous hotel has, renovations were made to ensure the building's safety, function, and universal design and add new space elements. Design started by surveying the existing building and drafting the reconstruction blueprint. The hotel's primary operations were rearranged to make utmost use of the potential of its location, which boasts views of Mount Fuji. Sections in the existing building where safety could not be confirmed were demolished, and the structure's safety was improved through seismic reinforcement of the remaining sections of the building.
We designed an ample outdoor space called Open Terrace for the part of the building that had been demolished. Several renovations were made to add outside spaces where guests can spend a relaxing time gazing at Mount Fuji, such as a shared covered terrace, and guestroom terraces, and a rooftop bar space. Spaces were created where you can sense a unique ambiance mixing old and new, Japan and the West, and the cultures of each.
With the development of social media in modern times, the significance of preserving a moment's space like a photograph has become more critical than ever. We believe that spaces in Mizuno Hotel should be created which stand out for scenes only captured here, scenes that guests would want to photograph besides simply Mount Fuji and the surrounding scenery. For example, the lintels in the rooms when looking from inside at the scenery beyond the terrace, as well as the plants and the shape of the handrails on the terrace edge when looking at the scenery from the deck. These were all given designs not to obstruct the scenery, designs befitting a hotel on the lake, which only can be found here. Framing the scenes makes for distinct framing that etches firmly into your heart and photography.
In this renovation, outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces were added here and there for visitors to gain maximum enjoyment from this space called a hotel. The unused rooftop portion was expanded as a terrace leading out from guestrooms. Created in the space that extends from the restaurant, Open Terrace is a space to enjoy meals while taking in the scenery and nature from every direction.
Despite restrictions in space configuration in the renovation, spaces were designed to make utmost use of the potential of their location. Now guests can get valuable experience and a chance to capture the unique scenery with Mount Fuji that people can only get in this hotel.
