Ace Hotel has revealed the first photos of its new venue in Kyoto, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Los Angeles-based design studio Commune.
Now open for bookings from April, Ace Hotel Kyoto is the brand's first hotel in Japan. It is housed within the former Kyoto Central Telephone Company, built by architect Tetsuro Yoshida in the 1920s.

Kuma has overseen the building's conversion into a 213-room hotel. Part renovation, part new-build, the structure features generous communal spaces, including garden courtyards and three restaurants.
Commune, which previously worked with Ace Hotel on its sites in Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Chicago, collaborated with Kuma to design the bespoke interiors.

"We?ve been wanting to do a project in Japan for 20 years now, and collaborating with a visionary like Kengo Kuma and longtime friends Commune make it all the more special," said Kelly Sawdon, partner and chief brand officer at Ace Hotel Group. "Kyoto is a city that generates creativity and inspires travel, and we hope Ace will serve as a central gathering place for locals and travellers."

Kuma is currently working on the Olympic Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
His design for Ace, first unveiled in 2018, features a gridded facade system intended to reference Kyoto's traditional architecture, including the machiya houses that are unique to the city.

Mesh screens and louvres allow the breeze from the courtyards to filter into rooms.

Art and sculp...