TOKYO — A series of unique bay windows at a hotel in the Japanese capital look like portable gaming consoles that were popular in the late 1980s or cathode-ray tube TVs stacked up.
Key boxes embedded in the top of a table are seen beside the entrance of the “L stay & grow Harumi” hotel in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, Sept. 6, 2022. (Mainichi/Akihiro Ogomori)=Click/tap photo for more images.
This striking facade can be seen at the “L stay & grow Harumi,” a hotel specializing as a training venue, in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward. The stylistic beauty of sequence provides a simple yet unparalleled visual experience.
Originally constructed in 1975 as a reinforced concrete building with 10 floors above ground and one below, the hotel first opened as “Den Harumi.” Over the years, its name changed to the “Harumi Grand Hotel” and later the “Hotel Fukuracia Harumi” before reopening under its current name in June 2022.
Inside, the original exposed concrete with wood grain patterns remains intact. On the first floor, there is a table containing key boxes on its top that used to store guest room keys at the front desk. On the exterior of the building, circular and square vents for the air-conditioning compressor units can be seen on the bottom of bay windows, adding to the structure’s unique character. These units are embedded within the bay window sections, making them less obtrusive inside the guest rooms.
Vents for an air-conditioning compressor unit are seen on the bottom of a bay window at the “L stay & grow Harumi” hotel in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, Sept. 6, 2022. (Mainichi/Akihiro Ogomori)=Click/tap photo for more images.
While the hotel is now surrounded by towering apartment buildings, the ever-changing landscape has not altered the enduring essence of the L stay & grow Harumi.
(Japanese original by Akihiro Ogomori, Photo and Video Department)
The bay window of a 10th-floor guest room is seen from the inside at the “L stay & grow Harumi” hotel in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, Sept. 6, 2022. An air-conditioning unit is embedded under the table. (Mainichi/Akihiro Ogomori)=Click/tap photo for more images.
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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on Oct. 16, 2022.
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This series explores Japan’s architectural wonders and secrets of yesteryear. Read more Retro Japan articles here.
Retro Japan in Photos: ‘L stay & grow Harumi’ hotel in Tokyo
AloJapan.com