suppose design office transforms old concrete building into ‘hotel sou’ in japan

suppose design office has refurbished an old reinforced concrete building into ‘hotel sou’, a three-room hotel located on fukue island, the largest island in the southern tip of the goto islands, in the west of nagasaki prefecture. by removing the finishes of the old building and cutting out openings in a sculptural, irregular way, the japanese architecture studio has blurred the boundaries between inside and outside. nature dominates existing and newly-constructed parts, allowing plants and humans to coexist in harmony with each other.all images by kenta hasegawa

‘hotel sou’ by suppose design office is located in a lively area of fukue island, with a café next to it and restaurants and shopping streets around it. the hotel is also located near a harbor where guests can hear the whistle of a ship, and wherever they are, they can feel the rich nature and unique charm of the island. it is a small island that has prospered through the mixing of various foreign cultures through trade since ancient times.

‘the idea was not to create something new, but to coexist in harmony with what was there,’ says suppose design office. sculptural openings cut in an irregular way blur the boundaries between inside and outside, while lush vegetation takes over the entire building. ‘we tried to create a contrast between the decadent beauty and the solid interior finishes, the strong and rough expression of the building frame, and the natural materials such as rattan and sisal,’ adds the japanese studio.

project info:

name: hotel sou

architect: suppose design office

location: goto city, nagasaki prefecture, japan

design team: makoto tanijiri, ai yoshida, yuki moirya

craft + set up contractor: tsuzurigumi

structure engineer: horie architect office

facility design: shimazu design office

lighting design: filaments

planting: solso

photography: kenta hasegawa