Hotel spread General Kyoto. 5 Designs for 5 Buildings Inspired by Japanese Sentiments

General Kyoto's five volumes, FUYA I, FUYA II, TOMI I, TOMI II, and YAMATO I, function as one hotel; guests staying in one of the units can use all of the buildings' common spaces, which include lounges, a guest kitchen, a gymnasium, a Tatami room, etc.
Uchida Design Inc. together with the atelier oï orchestrated the overall art direction and design work and created all the units through the collaboration of talented artists and designers making each building unique but maintaining balance with the local context

The architectural design echoes the classic Machiya theme while integrating it with modern touches: white Japanese-style stucco walls with black framed windows, all well integrated with the old Kyoto houses.  "Chozu," the traditional water basin for purifying hands, was designed by each artist and symbolically placed at the entrance to each of the hotel's 5 buildings and interacts with the interior design

The interior design expresses traditional Japanese sensibility with a delicate and minimal design. As in traditional town houses with a narrow facade and deeply developed floor plan, the living room and guest rooms are placed at the back which is considered a private space. A small indoor garden (Tsuboniwa) is placed in the center to allow ventilation and natural lighting inside the building

The TOMI II diffuse hotel building features playful installations and objects by the Swiss design group oï. Shade is the key theme for the interior. Lamps inspired by the Japanese umbrella are installed in the restaurant. Wall decoration made of thin Kiyomizu ceramic plates behind the reception counter and Mino washi paper furniture in the lounge designed by atelier oï decorate the space, expressing the aesthetics of nature inspired by Japanese sensibility