Koyasan Guest House / 高野山ゲストハウス Kokuu(コクウ）

12/01/2015. By Kentaro Takeguchi + Asako Yamamoto / Alphaville Architects. [Koyasan] Japan. [VIDEO]
metalocus, PEDRO NAVARRO

Japanese architects Kentaro Takeguchi and Asako Yamamoto, based in Kyoto, presented in these videos their last project completed in February this year, in Koyasan.

Outside vision. Photography © Shinkenchiku-sha.

Outside vision. Photography © Shinkenchiku-sha.

Inside vision. Koyasan Guest House. Photography © Toshiyuki Yano.

Site plan. Koyasan Guest House.

Ground floor plan. Koyasan Guest House.

Section. Koyasan Guest House.

Perspective section. Koyasan Guest House.

Inside vision. Koyasan Guest House. Photography © Toshiyuki Yano.

Koyasan is historically regarded as one of the most sacred mountains in Japan. In particular, it is a holy ground representing the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism, with a history dating back twelve hundred years. Rich in history and culture, Koyasan is a very spiritual place for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. It is a very beautiful place, and is worth visiting whilst traveling in Japan. The first guest house in Koyasan (Koyasan guesthouse) design by Alphaville Architects, has recently opened, allowing backpackers to stay in this area at an affordable price.

Kyoto-based architects Kentaro Takeguchi and Asako Yamamoto of Alphaville Architects have completed a small guest house containing capsule-style rooms for tourists visiting the sacred Koyasan (Mr. Koya) in Wakayama a Prefecture, South of Japan, located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island.

The 96 m² (1,033 ft²) building contains bedrooms, capsule-style dormitory rooms, a bar, and lounge. 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 timber frames are exposed inside at varying intervals to act as partitions between the bar, hallway, and lounge.

Below videos by Koyasan Guest House and ja+u.

Description of the project by Alphaville Architects

We designed a new guesthouse for young people from all over the world at Koya-san, the head temple of the Shingon sect founded 1200 years ago, the UNESCO world heritage. It is a mixture of Japanese capsule type hotel in which the privacy is well protected, and dormitory in which the communication among the guests is active. Each single room directly faces a hall so that you can chose proper distance with other guests ensuring the privacy. Selecting of thin wooden structure, resulting that the burden load per one pillar is relatively light, visibility of environmental facilities for easier maintenance and the simple composition of the space allow not only owner of this guest house but also guests to maintain, modify and keep on using this architecture for the long time.

We made two different scale spaces, one is a lounge for 20 people and the other is single room of a mattress size, by setting simple wooden continuing structural frame. The architecture is consist only of 2×4 inch wooden structure set at the interval of 455mm wrapped by the exterior wall with insulation outside. We did not make the hierarchy among structure, finish or furniture, same as the old Japanese traditional architecture.

At the center of this architecture, the corridor between two wooden colonnade illuminated naturally with high-side lit connects private dormitory space and public lounge space. We make use of the subtle light from far above through the wooden structure in tribute to traditional Japanese architecture. Thin small soft pillars give the guests very human scale feeling while gathering of this pillars gives spacious feeling for lounge and bar.

CREDITS. TECHNICAL SHEET.-

Site area.- 137.26 sqm
Building area.- 96.00 sqm
Total floor area.- 96.00 sqm
Building scale.- single story
Structure system.- wood
Structural engineer.- Takashi Manda;
Takashi Manda Structural Design
Complete.- 2012