Trunk has announced the opening of Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park, its third location in Tokyo. Designed by Tokyo-based Keiji Ashizawa Design in collaboration with Trunk’s in-house team, the hotel is firmly rooted within its local community, aiming to offer guests an immersive experience in the Japanese capital.
The 1499m² hotel has been designed to align with the easy-going spirit of the neighbourhood, with bespoke lighting, furniture and materials courtesy of Keiji Ashizawa Design adding unique touches throughout.
Copenhagen-based studio Norm Architects were also brought in to support the interior design of the hotel, marking the first occasion Trunk has collaborated with an international design team.
Drawing upon the extensive expertise of its collaborators, the design of Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park draws on many contrasting yet harmonious elements of Tokyo. The result is a synthesis of neighbouring Yoyogi Park – one of the city’s largest green spaces – its surrounding city blocks, and nearby Shibuya Crossing, which is the world’s busiest intersection. Modern and traditional, raw and refined, and Japanese and European craft traditions are also put to work alongside one another. The design of the building plays upon this balance and contrast with a simple, almost brutalist structure, featuring exposed raw concrete – a result of unique Japanese architectural construction techniques – juxtaposed with elegant wooden louvres across the balconies, and delicate greenery.
Tactile environments filled with biophilic and biomorphic design elements were prioritised throughout the hotel, aiming to encourage peace and wellbeing, while a palette of neutral colours works to craft soft, minimal spaces.
Guestrooms span across five floors, offering twenty individual rooms and five suites, including an expansive 95m² Owner’s Suite and terrace. Each room features an accompanying balcony, while slanted balcony ceilings amplify natural daylight and highlight the transitions of the sun. Amenities include eco-friendly products, such as flip-flops crafted from recycled rubber, and toiletries made from local, organic ingredients.
Carpets manufactured in collaboration with Hotta Carpet are inspired by the rhythms found in traditional Japanese architecture and the facade of the hotel itself, while bespoke furniture designs produced in partnership with Karimoku and Ariake Collection are seen across all areas of the hotel.
Soft, residential-style lighting is employed throughout, with bespoke washi-paper pendant lights crafted by Kyoto-based Kojima Shoten in the living spaces, and wall lamps in the lounge and restaurant produced by Eiko Miki, a Japanese copper-plate artist.
“A hotel provides an important framework for guests to experience their surrounding environment, and for this project especially we felt it important to consider and design a unique and authentic setting that encourages an enriched experience in Tokyo, whether for first-time visitors or local guests from the wider neighbourhood,” says Keiji Ashizawa, founder, architect and designer, Keiji Ashizawa Design. “The DNA of the two neighbouring districts, Tomigaya and Shibuya is present throughout, their contrasts and harmonies celebrated in a way we hope will cultivate a new culture, unique to Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park.”
Frederik Alexander Werner, designer and partner at Norm Architects, adds: “Scandinavian and traditional Japanese design traditions are bound together by embedded qualities of simplicity, functionality, refinement, and attention to detail. There is a respect regarding the use of natural materials in design and architecture, a fondness of muted colour palettes, and a humble approach to expressivity through genuine craftsmanship.
“Where other design traditions can be sensuous, expressive and playful, there is a down-to-earth seriousness in the Japanese and Scandinavian cultures originating in design thinking that was based upon accommodating practical needs and a desire to find the core essence of any given project. There has been a long and mutual exchange of ideas, which is evident in both traditions today and throughout this project.”
Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park also offers work, social and entertainment spaces, including a ground-floor Italian restaurant, and a rooftop pool club complete with heated infinity pool, lounge and oyster bar.
