The Ace Hotel Kyoto is a masterpiece of collaboration, rooted in an “East-meets-West through craft” design philosophy. The project was an architectural venture between renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma & Associates and Los Angeles-based design studio Commune Design.
Kuma oversaw the preservation and expansion of the building, which includes the historic 1920s Kyoto Central Telephone Office designed by Tetsuro Yoshida. Kuma’s new addition features a striking wooden grid facade, an abstract nod to Kyoto’s traditional machiya townhouses.
Commune masterminded the eclectic and richly textured interiors, drawing inspiration from Japanese American artists like Isamu Noguchi and Western designers deeply influenced by Japan, such as Charlotte Perriand. They layered the space with natural materials like wood, washi paper, and tatami. Crucially, the design features custom works from a large number of local Kyoto artisans and Japanese artists, most notably nonagenarian folk artist Samiro Yunoki, whose stencil-dyed textiles and prints are featured throughout the hotel.
AloJapan.com