Maana Kamo guesthouse inbuilt century-old Japanese dwelling
Japanese architect Uoya Shigenori stripped again and reconfigured this 100-year-old townhouse in Kyoto to create moody and tranquil interiors for Maana Kamo guesthouse.
Situated within the historic Higashiyama District, the resort was designed by Shigenori for Maana Houses, the proprietor of a set of luxurious retreats hidden inside among the Japanese metropolis’s previous streets.
The objective of the renovation was to protect and expose the dwelling’s unique construction whereas making a minimalist retreat for quiet contemplation.
It has been shortlisted for the resort and quick keep inside of the yr on the Dezeen Awards 2020.
“Preserving and highlighting the home’s imperfectly aged magnificence is the spine of our design philosophy,” mentioned Maana Houses.
“The sweetness and soul of a conventional Japanese townhome is in its structural parts.”
Previous to the renovation, Maana Kamo was in a poor situation with ugly vinyl wall coverings, tile ceilings and damaged floorboards.
These finishes had been all eliminated, exposing the previous home’s tough, wood construction and unique partitions which are comprised of clay.
These unique particulars have been teamed with darkish, moody furnishings and subdued lighting, alongside new timber partitions and flooring lined with conventional straw tatami mats.
Decoration is stored to a minimal all through, whereas storage areas for the resort employees are disguised throughout the partitions.
The dearth of decoration is to make sure Maana Kamo guesthouse is “visually quiet” and free from distraction, offering occupants with area to decelerate and mirror.
It additionally permits rooms to be simply tailored, for instance, a visitor room on the second ground will be rapidly transformed into an area for yoga and meditation.
One of many largest modifications Shigenori made to the dwelling was the repositioning of the kitchen from a slender area on the rear of the dwelling to a bigger space on the entrance.
This made area for a big kitchen island that’s lined with layers of Urushi – a conventional Japanese lacquer made from tree sap that’s waterproof –and a wall of wood cabinetry and cabinets full of native, handcrafted kitchenware.
The place the previous kitchen as soon as stood, Shigenori has inserted a double-vanity rest room with a bathe that overlooks a non-public backyard on the rear of the dwelling.
The guesthouse is full with an outsized Japanese-style bathtub that’s accessed from the lounge. It has a view out to the personal backyard and is meant to evoke the sensation of bathing in an onsen – a Japanese bathing facility positioned round a sizzling spring.
In 2016, Shigenori collaborated with Masashi Koyama on the restoration of a century-old machiya home in Kyoto to create an occasions area. Equally to Maana Kamo, the objective of the design was to have a good time the structure and historical past of the area.
Different initiatives up for brief keep inside of the yr on the Dezeen Awards 2020 embrace the small Escondido Oaxaca Resort in Mexico by Decada and Carlos Couturier and OHLAB’s extension of a rural resort in Mallorca.
Pictures are courtesy of Maana Houses.