When in summer, I went to visit Hotel Okura Tokyo, one of the iconic building since the last Tokyo Olympics back in 1964, though it was completed two years earlier. I read the article in Monocle magazine months ago about the renovation of this gorgeous building for the sake of the coming up Oympics 2020.
The Okura Tokyo is an architecture combining Japanese architects, folk artists, and potter, altogether, reflected Japanese traditional space, colours, atmosphere, yet including the sense of modernisation, an attempt to rise after the devastation of World War.
According to what I read from the magazine, this incredibly stunning space will be developed into the 38-storey high glass hotel building, 550 rooms. The renovation plan will be done by 2019, in time for the Rugby World Cup and also Olympics.
When I entered the hotel, I went in the wrong entrance so I didn't find the lobby at first. Anyway, entering the lobby from whichever direction still made me impressed. The space of the lobby, for me, wasn't so public, its has a private atmosphere, subtle natural light coming through 'Washi' on the window, Japanese paper used to make sliding screen/door. For the artificial light, most of them came form the lovely unique ceiling lamps. It was a little bit dark but enough for those activities occur in the lobby, I think.
I had a conversation with a concierge, I asked whether I can take a photo in there or not, and she told me to please take a stair up to the mezzanine too, and please enjoy the space. I asked her about the renovation plan, and she didn't seem to worry and told me that the developer are trying their best to keep the best of the hotel also.
