It has been planned for some time, but on 1 September, the magnificent Hotel Okura in Tokyo really is closing to be demolished. Two glass towers will rise in its place, replacing this 1960s gem of Japanese architecture.
Completed in 1962 by a team of five architects led by Yoshiro Taniguchi – who personally designed the welcoming lobby – the hotel was bold and very Western (read: modern) for its time, but with a distinct Japanese aesthetic brought to life by the craftsmen who decorated the space with silk wall coverings, delicate wooden lattice work, specially commissioned tiles, carpets and lighting fixtures. The Okura was a masterfully designed and executed space; a project ahead of its time and an important part of modern Japanese architectural history that, sadly, is soon to be no more.
The Okura was originally opened just in time for the 1964 Olympics. Ironically, it is the forthcoming 2020 games that have prompted the management to scrap and rebuild the lauded structure. The rooms will be slightly bigger (between 30–33 sq m and 48–56 sq m), slightly more numerous (550 rooms from the present 408) and fitted with the latest gadgets, new piping and earthquake proofing. However, pessimistic speculation would posit that the new Okura may lack the detailed, old-school, craft-based charm of its predecessor.
The new design has been put in the hands of Taniguchi's son, Yoshio Taniguchi – a successful architect in his own right, whose approach favours more contemporary, minimalist, clean lines. While the construction takes place, the hotel will operate from the original building's 1973 South Wing addition. For now, it will retain its original appearance, with the classic Orchid bar from the main building and the hotel's restaurants temporarily relocated, offering a chance for the public to visit that seminal interior for a final time.
Completed in 1962 by a team led by Yoshiro Taniguchi, the Okura was bold and very Western (read: modern) for its time
The hotel's distinct Japanese aesthetic was brought to life by the craftsmen who decorated the space with silk wall coverings, delicate wooden lattice work, specially commissioned tiles, carpets and lighting fixtures
The building was completed in 1962 by a team of five architects led by Yoshiro Taniguchi
The Okura was a masterfully designed and executed space...
... a project ahead of its time and an important part of modern Japanese architectural history
The Okura was originally opened just in time for the 1964 Olympics – but it is the forthcoming 2020 games that have prompted the management to rebuild the lauded structure
The new design has been put in the hands of Taniguchi's son, Yoshio Taniguchi – a successful architect in his own right
In contrast to his father, Yoshio's approach favours more contemporary, minimalist, clean lines
While the construction takes place, the hotel will operate from the original building's 1973 South Wing addition
Until the work is complete, the hotel retain its original appearance with the classic Orchid bar from the main building and the hotel's restaurants temporarily relocated
ADDRESS
Hotel Okura Tokyo
2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0001
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
Creased, crumpled: S/S 2025 menswear is about clothes that have ‘lived a life’The S/S 2025 menswear collections see designers embrace the creased and the crumpled, conjuring a mood of laidback languor that ran through the season – captured here by photographer Steve Harnacke and stylist Nicola Neri for Wallpaper*
-
A new book captures the kitschy allure of Japanese ‘love hotels’For his latest project, French photographer François Prost documents the whimsical façades that characterise these erotic roadside venues.
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu: a soothing onsen hotelIn Japan’s bucolic northeast, Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu breathes new life into a sleepy hot spring village without betraying its ancient roots
-
Shake off the winter chill at these design-led onsen hotels in JapanWhether you’re heading to the mountains of Hokkaido or the alleys of Kyoto’s Gion district, these immaculately designed onsen hotels will keep the shivers at bay
-
The new hotels you’ll want to stay at in 2025Where to stay in 2025? Let six of the most-read-about hotel openings of the past 12 months inspire your escape – from a tiny Tokyo bolthole to a Tanzanian safari retreat
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
The most whimsical hotel Christmas trees around the worldWe round up the best hotel Christmas tree collaborations of the year, from an abstract take in Madrid to a heritage-rooted installation in Amsterdam
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
