A full-service lounge where you pay per hour – or for a whole day if you feel like splurging – isn’t something we’ve come across before in our neighbourhood, but then again, it’s a Japanese concept specifically geared towards tourists from home and abroad. Behold KYOTO WAND, a new hospitality concept in, yes indeed, Kyoto. Tucked away in the suburban fringes of town, just east of Kamo river, the venue occupies an existing and redeveloped machiya, or traditional wooden townhouse, and measures 105 sqm. (1,130 sq.ft.) spread across two floors. So, KYOTO WAND is set up as social refuge of sorts for the city’s large annual stream of visitors who seek a place where to sit back, have a drink and bite, and perhaps take a refreshing shower too. The interior design, created by Osaka-based practice coil Kazuteru Matumura Architects, has been meticulously constructed.
The building had seen many previous renovations, and great effort has been made to restore the premises to their former authentic glory with the help of Okimoto-san, a local carpenter with great knowledge of such residential structures. The tiled façade, which had been covered up during several renovations, has been removed. However, the eaves and finish of the façade have been retained while tweaking details and also restoring the connection with the neighbouring houses. Large windows and sliding doors encase the larger part of the ground floor and can be opened when weather permits. The ground floor lounge which is anchored by a reception desk, large open kitchen and pick-up counter which is framed by an intricately constructed mosaic of indigo-dyed panels created by artist Yuko Yamamoto. The kitchen interior is entirely clad in a coating of trivalent chromate.
The wooden furnishings have all been sourced from local design practice Potitek, except for carpenter Masaaki Okimoto‘s elongated log bench, which seemingly protrudes through the front window. Concealed by a back wall in KYOTO WAND‘s back section, guests find three shower rooms and a toilet, while a large cut-out reveals a tiny patio with a sculpture by artist Takayuki Daikoku on display. A narrow staircase, featuring pendant glass lamps by renowned glass blower Ryo Sekino in the stairwell, leads upstairs where, right below an exposed wooden roof, additional seating can be found. As said, KYOTO WAND is a place where to relax before, in between, or after exploring Kyoto‘s abundance of cultural treasures. The fee is JPY 1,000 for the first hour and JPY 500 per additional hour. An entire day sets you back JPY 5,000. Mind you, light snacks and drinks are included, except for alcoholic beverages. You can also order hot meals for an additional charge.
KYOTO WAND
311-1 Kita Toryo-cho (Higashiyama-ku)
Kyoto 605-0918
online reservations only
Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
