The Shinjuku Prince Hotel in Tokyo has unveiled new renovations by Hong Kong-based architecture and design firm CL3. Located in the heart of the city’s busy Shinjuku district, the nearly 40-year-old hotel received upgrades to accommodate the needs of international clientele in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Led by architect and interior designer William Lin, the CL3 team put modern touches on the hotel’s entrance, reception area, lobby, café, and bar. A combination of natural elements from Japanese scenery lends itself to the creation of an indoor Zen atmosphere. Public spaces within the hotel are enhanced with new lighting and color palettes.
The 8,300 square feet of common areas redesigned by CL3 are housed in the building’s basement, which previously was occupied by outdated and unused café and retail venues. New additions include lobby space, a casual food and drink spot, and a lounge. A 39-foot-long backlit reception counter, adorned with traditional Japanese shoji screens, greets guests along with an LED display showcasing Japanese scenery and natural elements.
The Station, the basement’s new café and bar, features a prominent modern garden box, influenced by the uniformed curved lines of a Zen garden. Suspended bamboo panels and handpainted blue and yellow wallpaper, styled with silhouettes of Japanese trout lilies, continues the theme.
The guest lounge next to the check-in desks offers a relaxing atmosphere with a variety of green tones in the carpeting, which features a pattern of Japanese pine needles. The walls take on the appearance of shoji screens, allowing in a subtle amount of light.
