Art and architecture go hand in hand, where there is architecture there is art and vice versa. After many years of travelling and visiting many places, staying at many hotels during my recent visit to Japan, I had an opportunity to stay at a different kind of hotel where the stay is converted into an art museum.

BnA Alter Museum hotel in Kyoto is one such hotel where I experienced art and architecture at the same place. BnA Alter Museum in Tokyo is their first hotel which has 31 rooms showcasing 31 permanent exhibitions, this has been created by 15 Japanese artists under the direction of 9 art directors. The Hotel is of 10 stories high and has a 30-meter vertical staircase showcasing contemporary Japanese art. There are a museum, cafe, bar and 31 intricately designed art rooms which are a place worth to stay for. The museum is situated on the 2nd floor of the hotel where there will be art exhibitions held monthly.

Stay at BnBnA Alter Museum A Alter Museum was an exhilarating experience as the rooms here are compact and with contemporary arts from Japanese artists. All rooms here are equipped with an electric teapot, private bathroom with hot tub, free toiletries, hairdryer and fridge.

#Macrotraveller stayed at Goen na ma and i should stay, the room was unique with the concept of 5 yen coins and the experience was enriching.

Goen no ma: Designed by Ryuichi Ohira, goen no ma has a concept of utilizing a gold-coloured wall using “5-yen coins”. The five yen coin in culture serves as a symbol of faith in shrines and temples. This has been used in the room to provide foster connections between past, present, and future patrons, which the artists Ryuichi Ohira hopes.

Double Dreams: An interesting concept of art from Sato Sugamoto, Double Dreams is all about Saturation and Inversion. You can notice the saturated and inverted colours present here which is situated above the beds and when looked at a distance you can notice colours situated near saturation part and black and white at inversion point. This also means that our dreams are intertwined with this saturation and inversion that is happening in our daily lives.

NEXTFEX: Designed by Mon Koutaro Ooyama, NEXTFEX is a room full of colours, mural lights which changes time to time and illuminated. This gives peace, calmness in one’s mind and you can have many vivid experiences. Note that this place is not suitable for people who are sensitive to light, photosensitive epilepsy or who feel uncomfortable with changing lights.

Superior Double: The rooms have an area of around 22sqm comes with Superior Double Bed and shower access. Room amenities include Free Wi-Fi, Tablet with Netflix access, Electric Kettle, Fridge. Bath amenities include Skin/Dental care, Shaving Kit, Comb and Hairdryer. Suitable for the stay of 2 people, they have named the rooms based on artists who helped to decorate the interiors of the rooms. The rooms have a name such as

Vault: This room has selected artwork from various artists which are specially curated biannually. This is one of the rooms where they do not display a permanent exhibition. The art displayed here can be purchased so that you can add a piece of art from the art designer to your collection.

 

1. 2019/3019: The main theme here is porcelain, where you would notice the contemporary ceramic broken and repaired by traditional Japanese method called Kintsugi. The room has been designed by artist SHOWKO and you can notice the porcelain paintings composed of vivid colours and with fine intricate details.

The birds stay in the tree by the pond, and the fish sleep below the waves in the gracious moonlight: Designed by Yusuke Nakano / Paramodel, the theme of the room is synthetic resin paint, phosphorescent paint, stone, PMMA, model toy, metal, string, etc. The room represents Toru which is a Noh Play set up in Rokujo-Kawarain-Ato a mansion, this mansion is situated close to the BNA Alter Museum. All the art exhibitions are some of the excerpts from the Play such as Moonlight, Waterfront, and view of ancient capital during the Edo period. The room is beautiful with blue coloured walls and a nice mix of black and white paints.

Venus Flower Basket: Decorated with acrylic paint, the designer of the room is Lulu Kouno and ASITANOSIKAKU where you witness the concept of the deep sea and Venus Flower Basket as its theme. You can witness a nice wall hanging of sponge-like structure above the bed that extends till the ground. The main concept derives from the Japanese saying “when alive we grow old together, when we die we are buried in the same hole together”, a phrase representing a couple’s deep commitment to each other.

Dream of a trip, journey of a dream: Designed by artist Lulu Kouno and who collaborated with ASITANOSIKAKU. Dream of a trip, journey of a dream is a dream comes true where you rest in a floating bed which invites dreams of travels. The room has an area of 30sqm comes with Double Bed, shower, bath and a view of Kamo River.

Deluxe Quad: The rooms are of the size of 30sqm comes with Deluxe Quad Beds, 2 Single beds, shower and bath facilities. Suitable for the stay of 4 people the Deluxe Quad rooms come with amenities such as Free Wi-Fi, Tablet with Netflix access, Electric Kettle, Fridge. Bath amenities include Skin/Dental care, Shaving Kit, Comb and Hairdryer.

Travelling Room: Designed by AOKI Takamasa who is a music artist by profession, travelling room main theme is music where you have a clear studio-like setting with 4 speakers and 1 subwoofer. Using the sound field, simulating the guests’ consciousness travelling room provides ultimate stay for all music/travel lovers.

Galapagos Danchi: Danchi was a Japanese apartment complex which made its waves in the 1950s however later it was ridiculed to be called as a rabbit hole. The Galapagos Danchi is an upgraded version of Danchi which you can notice here at BNA Alter Museum. The room was designed by Mizuguchi Guchi where you would notice modern technology in the room and Danchi Box placed right in the center of the room. The furniture’s present here is utilizing the space provided which makes the room look compact and beautiful.

Deluxe Queen: The deluxe queen rooms are suitable for the stay of 2 people where you have deluxe queen beds with shower and bath facility. The room has an area of around 30 sqm comes with amenities such as Free Wi-Fi, Tablet with Netflix access, Electric Kettle, Fridge. Bath amenities include Skin/Dental care, Shaving Kit, Comb and Hairdryer.

No man’s water/ place that don’t see: A concept room which has the main theme of water objects, no man’s water/place that don’t see is designed by artist Tetsuya Umeda who goes by the concept where water is life, yet they tend to damage precious art/architecture.

From one stroke: A minimalist yet intricately designed by artistMina Katsuki, from one stroke, is a room which concentrates on art design that is created using one stroke of paint. The minimalistic paint pays homage to the fundamental elements, the paint and single stroke. Using an ancient Egyptian pigment called lapis lazuli, artist Katsuki has created beautiful room interiors with just a single stroke.

Continuum: Designed by Daito Manabe who is an artist, DJ, programmer and interior designer by profession, the continuum is a place where you would experience an audiovisual (AV) experience which changes slowly and cannot be captured by human perception.

ASITA ROOM REM, sleep garden by Mr X: A mixed media concept room designed by artist SAI, the ceiling has a garden where you share the space between being awake and falling asleep.

My Room: Designed by Akiyoshi Mishima, the room is subtle with a feeling of a boundary between oneself in real life and oneself in the dream life. It is a bright room and is not suitable for photosensitive people. The light here gives a glimpse of the worlds which we leave vs. the outside world which can’t be expressed in words.

1993: Designed by artist Aiko Yuno, 1993 is a concept of Love Hotels that gained popularity during the early ’90s in Japan. The 1993 room uses urethane foam, dollhouse, aluminium foil, glitter, stainless, mixed media where you have a paradise for guests who stay here. The guests can enjoy the beautiful art using the props and also enjoy the subtlety that the room has during your stay at 1993 from BNA Alter Museum.

Deluxe Suite: D/R/M a concept of EY∃Boredoms is a Deluxe Suite room which offers Deluxe Suite King Bed, shower, bath and Kamo river view. The room size is of 60 sqm which is suitable for 2 people stay. The deluxe suite comes with amenities such as Free Wi-Fi, Tablet with Netflix access, Electric Kettle, Fridge. Bath amenities include Skin/Dental care, Shaving Kit, Comb and Hairdryer. EY∃ who is a core member of the experimental music group Boredoms which is an underground music scene most influential group. EY∃ has also participated in many global exhibitions both visual and audio artworks which helped him design Deluxe Suite.

D/R/M means DotRecessesMeta、Eardrum=Drm、DotRooM is based on the functional structure of the ear. The room has the design of ear where the door acts as Auricle, Entrance Aisle as External Ear Canal, Aisle corner as Eardrum, Rear corner aisle as the tympanum, inner room as inner ear cochlea and recess room as the apex. D/R/M stay will make you experience the action when the ear produces when you held your hand cupped around the ears. The guest here is a participant where when you slowly move towards the act of entering the room. Once in you would experience the vivid sound and design patterns with continuous sound which is one of a kind experience which you can experience here at Deluxe Suite of BNA Alter museum.