Built back in 1962, the Hotel Okura Tokyo is perfectly at home in both the past and the present; its modernist design giving it a genuinely timeless feel and beauty. Any kind of future, however, doesn’t come into the equation, as today, the Okura’s iconic main building will close to make way for a generic, high-rise glass tower. Meaning its history, charm and stunning aesthetics will very soon be gone. All of it set to be destroyed in the rather dubious guise of progress.
Colo says
Lovely. I always like these types of rooms/ buildings.
Lee says
Me too. Such a shame this one won’t be around any longer…
Hans ter Horst says
Great shot showing what sets this hotel apart from the cramped and identical lobbies of the boring architecture of today’s hotels. They torn down the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Imperial Hotel which survived the Great KantÅ Earthquake and the Tokyo fire bombings, so nothing is sacred…
Lee says
Cheers. No, that’s sadly very true…
Hans ter Horst says
This week the BBC had an article about Hotel Okura: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34106357
Lee says
Thanks! Hadn’t seen that. Very interesting. Especially liked the old photos. Wonderful to see.
J. Izumi says
It is truly heartbreaking to see this masterpiece taken down. There was some effort to save it but it wasn’t successful. Here’s an interesting link to saving the Okura. I wish I could have had one more drink in that lobby.
http://savetheokura.com
Lee says
Thanks. Yes, I saw that. A good effort, but it seems nothing would have saved it…
Al says
I’ve seen several articles about this hotel over the last few days. Looks beautiful. What a loss it’ll be…… 🙁
Lee says
Yeah, it really is…
Lizzy says
That’s such a shame. It looks like it’s still in great shape!
Lee says
Can’t comment on the rooms, but yeah, the public areas looked in very good condition. In no way at all did they looked tired and worn like many Japanese hotels I’ve been in. As such it makes its imminent destruction all the sadder…
Andrew says
Lee – Do you know anyone who works at the hotel? What about a company like this?
http://scanlabprojects.co.uk/
The size of some of the projects that they have been involved with is enormous. They famously created this model of the old Shipping Gallery at the Science Museum in London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTbFhFZl9I
Go on, forward it to the manager!
Lee says
I don’t. But after seeing what that company can do, I wish I did. And if I did, that I’d have let them know what was possible a long time ago…