【Kyoto】ShinPuhKan – A stunning fusion of historical architecture and modern lifestyle

We visited ShinPuhKan, a brick building with a strong presence in Karasuma-Oike, the central area of Kyoto City.

ShinPuhKan is a commercial facility renovated from the former Kyoto Central Telephone Station built in 1926 during the Taisho era and opened in 2001. It gained popularity as a commercial facility open to the community while utilizing the charm of the original building. However, in 2016, ShinPuhKan decided to undergo a major renovation in order to complete its original role of changing the city and to strengthen its ability to attract more customers in the future.

Like the old ShinPuhKan, the new ShinPuhKan, which reopened in June 2020, consists of a “preserved wing” that preserves the Taisho era building and a “newly built wing” newly designed by architect Kengo Kuma. Also unique is the courtyard that spreads out as if surrounded by the two wings.

In the courtyard, a 7.3 meter high work, “Ether (Octagon)” by artist Kohei Nawa, is on display. This work is said to represent the opposite moment of falling water drops.

In addition to the hotel brand “Ace Hotel Kyoto,” which is making its first appearance in Asia, there are approximately 20 stores in ShinPuhKan that are particular about their concepts and designs. Although the number of stores is small as a commercial facility, the atmosphere of the entire ShinPuhKan is unified by the tenants who have their own unique world view and are highly compatible with Ace Hotel Kyoto.

There are many unique and fashionable shops such as “BEAMS JAPAN KYOTO,” which offers “things, things and people related to Japan,” “TRAVELER’S FACTORY KYOTO,” a stationery store that opened for the first time in Kansai, “MAISON KITSUNÉ KYOTO ShinPuhKan ,” a popular apparel store and cafe, and “LE LABO KYOTO,” where you can create your own custom-made perfume and many other unique and stylish stores. Just looking at the stores from the outside is enough to lift one’s spirits.

Now, I took a glimpse into the lobby to see what kind of atmosphere the Ace Hotel, the only hotel brand in Asia, has to offer. I was surprised to see a sight I could not believe my eyes. In the lobby, there is a desk where you can plug in your laptop and work on it. A coffee shop was connected to the back of the lobby, making me feel like I was in a foreign country…I was already on a trip abroad in my brain.

For me, hotel lobbies make me a little nervous just by going there, especially when I am not staying overnight, and I wonder if I can stay here. But at this hotel, everyone is so calm and relaxed. It’s just natural that you are working in the lobby….

In fact, this is exactly what “Ace Hotel Kyoto” was aiming for. In Japan, hotels are not a familiar place for everyday use, but they wanted to change that idea and make it an open hotel that people can visit easily. That’s wonderful!

The rooms at Ace Hotel Kyoto are of course lovely, but I will introduce them in another post sometime.

Ace Hotel Kyoto, shops, stylish ShinPuhKan in every direction, and directly connected to the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma-Oike Station. Please drop by and visit us when you travel to Kyoto!