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japanese architecture

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Architecture

Standing tall

The Spanish city’s first residential high-rise signalled that Valencia was on the up. Six decades later, it remains a status symbol.

  • Issue #165
  • 11 min read
Torre Ripalda's distinctive curved brick facade with repeating horizontal bands photographed from below against blue sky
Architecture

Personal space

Architect Junzo Yoshimura’s seaside escape is a private, harmonious ‘mansion’ that is finally ready to be shared with the world.

  • Issue #159
  • 5 min read
Modern interior corner with gray swivel chairs, glass side table and wooden credenza near large windows
Architecture

Hidden treasures

On a quiet residential street in Japan’s historic capital stands a living monument to the city’s coveted craft traditions.

  • Issue #158
  • 6 min read
Wooden walkway leading through internal courtyard garden with moss-covered ground and traditional Japanese architecture
Hospitality

Small wonder

Roka, an intimate ryokan, is now welcoming art lovers on the island of Naoshima. It offers exquisite interiors, fine food and soothing open-air baths in each of its 11 rooms.

  • Issue #154
  • 6 min read
Roka owner Shintaro Sasaki performing tea ceremony in traditional Japanese interior with wood beams and tatami
Hospitality

Game changer

Nintendo’s former headquarters have reopened as a boutique hotel designed by Tadao Ando. The architect has retained many original elements, with nods to the company’s origins as a producer of playing cards.

  • Issue #153
  • 5 min read
Art deco facade of Marufukuro hotel in Kyoto showing restored 1930s architecture with green awnings
Hospitality

Hearth of the matter

A tranquil onsen hotel on the scenic shores of Lake Poroto in northern Japan combines a serene stay with discovery of the area’s native culture.

  • Issue #152
  • 4 min read
Modern wooden hotel building with vertical slat cladding and concrete walkway surrounded by bare winter trees
Travel and restaurants

Small wonder

Distilling the charms of the traditional Japanese ryokan and elevating the experience with bespoke design were the goals of the hotelier behind The Shinmonzen.

  • Issue #150
  • 6 min read
Modern hotel balcony with black table and chairs overlooking autumn trees and river in Kyoto
Design

Design Briefing

From a mirrored installation on a Venetian island to groundbreaking design in a former Swiss factory.

  • Issue #146
  • 6 min read
Man in green sweater examining white metal chair component in workshop with machinery

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