BUNKA HOSTEL TOKYO

Tokyo Design Center inc. (TDC) Review

BUNKA HOSTEL TOKYO occupies a thirty-year old commercial building located on the corner of Asakusa shopping promenade and was converted into a hostel for foreign visitors that promotes Japan’s modern-day culture. With a spatial design opened towards the local area, the first floor is made to host “Bar Bunka,” a communication space where travelers and locals can associate with one another, introducing a new style of social interaction for the district. The upper floor of the hostel is a simple space where a curtain separates the sleeping areas; however, it does not feel “cheap,” thanks to the warmth of the wood. Many accommodation facilities have opened in Japan in view of the 2020 Olympics, and the hotels by UDS, who contrived the design of BUNKA HOSTEL TOKYO, all follow the concept of creating links with the surrounding local communities. This initiative of the connection of the accommodation space to the local district has received a high assessment by the Good Design Award Committee. Only in Japan could a budget-type youth hostel be so highly refined.

Planning & Architectural design: UDS Ltd.+ Miyazaki/Sudoh, VI design: Hiroko Takahashi, Lighting design: Chialki Murazumi, Sign design: Yusuke Tanaka
Award: Good Design Award 2016