Kengo Kuma on making Tokyo Edition Ginza ‘warm, intimate, and spiritual’
The new Tokyo Edition Ginza, designed by Kengo Kuma and Ian Schrager, marks the brand’s second chapter in Japan
The idea of evoking the atmosphere of a private residence lies at the core of architect Kengo Kuma’s latest hotel project, The Tokyo Edition Ginza – which he likens to a Japanese home, ‘warm, intimate and spiritual’. The new hotel flows through a 14-level structure on a quiet corner spot in the Ginza district, mixing a material warmth and a minimalist simplicity with edgy Edition touches in a network of intimate spaces.
The new Ginza hotel is the 19th global opening for The Edition brand – hot on the heels of The Singapore Edition, and chapter two for its Japan journey. It opens three years after the brand debuted in Japan with The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, also designed by Kuma alongside Edition creator Ian Schrager. The latest outpost boasts expanses of deep-toned walnut juxtaposed with ivory textiles; 86 guest rooms with low-rise city views; a lobby with a gold bar and white scissor staircase; Japan’s first Punch Room; a modern brasserie; and a rooftop natural wine bar.
A similar design language – woods mixed with minimalist lines and a luxe material palette – underpins both hotels, yet each retains a unique identity. The Toranomon hotel floats 36 floors above the ground in a cloud-brushing skyscraper, with a buzzy jungle-like lobby inspired by temple architecture, light oak wood and 206 guest rooms. In contrast, The Tokyo Edition Ginza has a deeper palette and ambience, reflected in its comparatively human-scale proportions.
