Hotel Okura Tokyo to be rebuilt
The main building of Hotel Okura Tokyo has closed in preparation for its demolition, making way for the high-rise development that will take its place.
Set to open in early 2019, the newbuild is intended to extend the hotel’s capacity in the run up to the 2020 Olympics, with over forty storeys, a forecasted 550 guestrooms across two towers, modern office space and 1.3 hectares of gardens. The green tract of land looks to provide a ‘metropolitan oasis’ in the city, as well as offer a natural disaster evacuation site for the safety and security of the community.
Despite these updated features, the new design is intended to maintain the traditional Japanese aesthetic that is fundamental to Hotel Okura’s heritage. Having been open for 53 years, the hotel has played host to a diverse and extensive list of world leaders, and Yoshio Taniguchi, the architect for the new development, is well placed to ensure the continuation of this legacy – it was his father who designed the original Hotel Okura over half a century ago.
Following the closure of the main building, the South Wing of the hotel has reopened; it is from here that Hotel Okura will continue its operations for the duration of the main construction process. The South Wing offers 380 guestrooms and seven restaurants, as well as a number of bars, ensuring the hotel will remain in business during the building process.
