Part of the pleasure of staying at The Hiramatsu Kyoto is the architecture, whose every detail embodies hannari, the Kyoto word for refined, sophisticated and elegant
Kyoto machiya townhouses go back hundreds of years. These ancient dwellings require a great deal of maintenance, and many have been demolished, but The Hiramatsu Kyoto occupies a converted machiya built over 120 years ago. Renowned Kyoto firm Nakamura Sotoji Komuten supervised the remodelling, and many other people devoted time, energy and passion to the décor, the gardens, and restoring the building using the latest technology. Every detail of the décor, which uses simple but refined materials such as wood, earth and paper, embodies traditional craftsmanship. We invite you to experience the Kyoto machiya ideal of beauty in everyday life.
The hotel’s façade is virtually unchanged since the house was built. The window lattices are typical of merchants’ houses, and as this was once a draper’s premises, they are in the customary itoya-goshi (literally, “yarn merchant’s lattice”) style, which lets plenty of light in, ideal for a business dealing in goods whose colour is all-important. It’s easy to imagine looking through the lattices in the days when most people wore a kimono, and seeing the shop filled with brightly coloured cloth.
The space currently occupied by the front desk was formerly the omoteya, the place where the draper conducted his business. The exposed beams of the high ceiling are original. The walls are covered in juraku-nuri, a traditional material made with earth from the Kyoto area. The floor is a reconstruction of the beaten earth tataki floor thought to have existed when the house was built.
“When you open the door, you don’t see the entire room. You pass through the entrance, turn a corner, move forward – and with each turn the room takes on a different character. It’s like unwinding a picture scroll”
(Yoshiaki Nakamura, chief architect)
In some rooms and suites, bedrooms are divided from living areas by wooden lattice partitions. Where walls would feel heavy, lattices offer a sense of privacy while preserving a sense of space, and cast soothing shadows. Look closer and you will see that the horizontal members of the lattices are covered in metal. The light it reflects adds an element of modernity to the traditional Japanese style.
The exact age of the kura storehouse is unknown, but it was certainly built before 1899. Some of the roof tiles and metal fittings, including external doors and hinges, are original. The tiles are of the no longer made and now rare Kyo Daibutsu-gawara type. The internal walls are painted to resemble traditional earth walls. Qing dynasty Chinese antiques harmonize beautifully with modern furniture by Danish designer Kaare Klint.
Gardens are a vital part of the Kyoto machiya. The Pine Tree Garden is the first that guests see on arrival. Also visible from Japanese restaurant Izumi, it takes on different characters when viewed from different angles. The Bamboo Garden can be viewed from Italian restaurant Ristorante la Luce and the lounge. Its planting takes account of the natural light from the sky above. Finally, some guest rooms have a tiny box garden which can be seen across the desk.