GAME CHANGER

Plan Do See and Tadao Ando transform Nintendo's former Kyoto HQ into a boutique hotel that plays on the building's heritage

- DANIELLE DEMETRIOU

The former HQ of gaming giant Nintendo is getting a new lease of life as a boutique hotel, following a top-to-toe makeover by Tokyo hospitality group Plan Do See, in collaboration with architect Tadao Ando. Located on a low-key street between Kyoto's Kamo and Takase rivers, Marufukuro offers a new spin on the ancient city's long-standing balancing act between past and future.

The hotel spans three structures dating back to 1933. These housed the HQ and warehouse for the Kyoto-born Nintendo (whose distribution company at the time, Marufuku, specialized in playing cards), plus the residence of Nintendo's founders, the Yamauchi family. The buildings are a time capsule of early Showa-era architecture, riffing between Japanese and Western influences. Plan Do See's renovation weaves a contemporary edge into the unique interiors, which feature sweeping masonry, geometric motifs, art deco fireplaces and jewel-toned textiles. Meanwhile, Ando created a new annex in signature swathes of concrete, while advising on the renovation of the original structures.