Kengo Kuma and Associates reimagines historic building in Osaka

Kengo Kuma and Associates completed the Hotel Real Classic in Osaka, Japan, this year. The new building is located on top of one of the city's iconic historical buildings: the Osaka Shin-Kabukiza Theater, built in 1958, a masterpiece by architect Togo. Murano, known for its karahafu gables - a type of roof style characterized by its curves and waves at the top.

On the hotel's roof, the architects allude to the historic style by adding their own interpretation of the karahafu : a thin, openwork metal mesh, rather than a closed wooden roof, sits lightly on the roof, outlining it. Inside, each space was defined and colored by inserting a ceiling composed of several geometric plates. By interspersing Japanese contemporary art centered on the "GUTAI" art movement, which is related to Osaka, into the various spaces, a complex space was created, which moves between museum and hotel.