Guest house So-sui. Architecture for an extraordinary experience

In the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, overlooking one of Japan's three most beautiful views, the Nihon Sankei, the guest house So-sui offers a unique spatial experience in architecture that reinterprets tradition and amplifies the sensations of the body and soul

Panoramic views and privacy protection shape the architecture

So-sui is one of the latest architectural projects completed by the Kenzo Makino & Associates studio. The structure, which must comply with strict local regulations on color and respect for traditional buildings, contains three tourist units vertically layered: a suite with a sauna and two standard units. In a sparsely populated tourist area, the maisonette overlooks Amanohashidate Bay and the panoramic views, as well as the protection of privacy, shape its architecture and its openings

Reinterpretation of traditional Japanese row houses

The architects have carefully studied every possible intrusive view from the outside: from the street and parking lot in front of the structure, from an elevated ground, even from a potential boat in the bay. The outer skin of So-sui, which appears as a segmented row of traditional Japanese row houses with brick tiles, responds with specially designed glass windows that ensure guests feel immersed in the scenery from the upper body. A pleasant sense of containment and calm embraces the lower half

The organization of spaces in tourist units

From the rooms, it feels like being hosted on a boat moored at sea. The organization of spaces has provided on the ground floor the living area with a garden, on the second floor the rooms with outdoor bathrooms, and on the first floor a space with a dining table, storage room, and appliances that make the structure suitable for long stays. The second floor is a unique area 11.6 meters long that hosts, without interruption, the bedroom and the outdoor bathroom equipped with an external shutter and an internal motorized rolling screen for privacy and comfort

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PEOPLE

Kenzo Makino & Associates

Kyoto, Japan