Andon Ryokan's Architecture Design

Architect / Waseda University Doctor, Masayuki Irie

• [Andon Ryokan Design Concept]
• 1. New Urban Accommodations
• Andon Ryokan is a lodging facility located in Minowa for backpackers from overseas. In the vicinity of Minowa and Senju, there are many inexpensive lodging houses for the laborers. The owner Ms. Ishii was running such a lodging facility that she succeeded from the predecessors, then following the change of the times she swiftly corresponded and established Andon Ryokan.
• The ryokan's location is close to Ueno and Asakusa and its historical background is of intrigue to many visitors from overseas. The spirit of old Edo (the ancient name of Tokyo) survives here in many traditional Tokyo craft shops, temples, shrines and neighborhood restaurants. Should our guests wish to see the more contemporary side of the city, they need only to go to the closest subway station which is Minowa on the Hibiya line, the route heading directly to the shopping and entertainment district of Ginza, Roppongi, Hiroo and Ebisu. Riding its extended route further you can travel to Nikko, Kyoto and Nara to trace back from modern to ancient times and come to sense the nature of Japanese culture.
• Due to the informations media's drastic revolution, via wide spread Internet, Andon Ryokan will become a symbolic lodging facility for Tokyo's visitors. At Andon, our guests are assured to obtain the best space available for their budget and of meeting people of similar interests form all over he world. Rooms are about 7 sq. meters and designed for one or two people - just enough space for their baggage and themselves, as well as a comfortable foothold from which to explore the city. Although the rooms design incorporates traditional Japanese elements, it also has a modern flare and tranquil atmosphere. Our nano-scale space equipped with transportation access, information, and competent infrastructure is the way of leading current lodging facilities in an urban city.

• [Andon Ryokan Design Concept]
• 2. Modern Japanese Designs
• The building is a five-story steel-frame construction. The guests rooms are from the first to the third floor, and on the fourth and the fifth floor there is a Jacuzzi; a temporary storage room for guests; and the owner's private residence.
• When I began planning how to represent Japanese style in a steel structure, andon (a traditional Japanese lantern) simply came up in my mind. I carefully designed the mechanism that presents the bright light to the outside which is activated when the guests stay in the room and turn the lights on. Japanese traditional features like paper sliding doors and wood lattice are represented by dot point glazing with translucent glass, metal horizontal louvers, perforated metal and a combination of materials for the panels.
• In contrast the interior lighting is muted to mimic the texture of the wooden part of a typical old house's black luster; for this reason the light is directed towards the floor. I hope to create the effect of candles gleaming in the dark spreading slowly out across each surface and texture - just as they might in an old Japanese house. The light creates the illusion of traditional cloth with a pattern of diagonal stripes.
• The reception and lounge are on the first floor where guests are able to have meals in a traditional Japanese atmosphere: the kitchen with the appearance of a dirt floor and the wooden floor of the lounge. I hope this ryokan is a lively space where foreign guests can communicate with each other while preparing their meals, and I hope that this leads to Japan becoming more open and accessible to international visitors.

Architectural Work Almanac

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Selected Architectural Designs 2005
Journal of Architecture and Building Science Architectural
Institute of Japan

Andon Ryokan
2-34-10 Nihonzutsumi Taito, Tokyo, Japan

Masayuki Irie, Jun Ikemura, Takayo Irie

Waseda University DFI

Andon Ryokan, located in Minowa is a welcoming hot spot for backpackers to stay from all over he world. The name "Andon" comes from the traditional Japanese lantern of the Edo period. Ms. Ishii, an active collector of antiques chose her favorite piece of art, an inspiring lantern which now shares the same inviting glow as her lodging house. She wishes her lantern as well as many other pieces from her personal collection help foreign visitor to appreciate the authentic atmosphere and enjoy their stay in Japan even further. Andon Ryokan's design theme was created to bring a settling ambiance, an encouraging background for lively conversations in English.

The building is a five-story steel-frame construction. The guests rooms are from the first to the third floor, and on the fourth and the fifth floor there is a Jacuzzi; a temporary storage room for guests; and the owner's private residence. When I began planning how to represent Japanese style in a steel structure, andon (a traditional Japanese lantern) simply came up in my mind. I carefully designed the mechanism that presents the bright light to the outside which is activated when the guests stay in the room and turn the lights on. Japanese traditional features like paper sliding doors and wood lattice are represented by dot point glazing with translucent glass, metal horizontal louvers, perforated metal and a combination of materials for the panels.

In contrast the interior lighting is muted to mimic the texture of the wooden part of a typical old house's black luster; for this reason the light is directed towards the floor. I hope to create the effect of candles gleaming in the dark spreading slowly out across each surface and texture - just as they might in an old Japanese house. The light creates the illusion of traditional cloth with a pattern of diagonal stripes.

The reception and lounge are on the first floor where guests are able to have meals in a traditional Japanese atmosphere: the kitchen with the appearance of a dirt floor and the wooden floor of the lounge. I hope this ryokan is a lively space where foreign guests can communicate with each other while preparing their meals, and I hope that this leads to Japan becoming more open and accessible to international visitors.

Architect's Review; Rie Azuma (Azuma Architect & Associates)

Andon Ryokan is a beautiful building with facade on glass screens, a warm semblance of an Edo period night lamp. It is conveniently located in the town of Nihonzutsumi in the Minowa area. This is where old style stores are attached to homes and concrete buildings coexist. Its central objective is to provide backpackers a roost for their activities in Tokyo, while omitting anything extra from the rooms, seven sq. meters in size complying with hotel regulations. Despite such minimum space, close attention is paid to detail which is achieved by transforming sensitive design elements; low positioned light fixtures and indirect ceiling lights contribute to the modern and traditional blend found at Andon. The simple yet well-calculated design represents the atmosphere and new direction for Japanese inns.

Rooftop Terrace "Andon Sky Terrace"

We launched a rooftop terrace when Tokyo Skytree was built on 5/22/2012. We have two tables designed by the artist Mie Ishii. There is a view of Tokyo Tower on the right side of the terrace, and Tokyo Skytree on the left.

There are few tall buildings in shitamachi Minowa district, allowing Tokyo Skytree to stand out when lit at night. It looks just like a huge candle floating in the air.

Andon Ryokan is a great place for breakfast, to enjoy the cool of evening with beer, to sun bathe, reading and yoga at dusk, and relax in the quiet moments of a metropolis.

Solar System "Andon Eco Project"

March 11th, 2011 became the unforgettable date for all of us in Japan. The accident at the nuclear plant has given us an opportunity to look back over our lives and redesign our way of life.

Our Ryokan has been primarily serving foreign visitors. The radioactive leakage made us realize keenly that the travel industry is a peacetime industry. When I thought of the future of Japanese Islands, the miracle islands blessed with diversity, I wanted to protect my country at all cost. I believe all Japanese wish the same.

There are currently only few ways and choices for energy production in urban cities. I believe the shortcut for Japan to become a nuclear free country is for the individuals to try to produce energy as much as possible.

At Andon Ryokan, we installed 3 solar water heating panels on our rooftop on May 22nd, approximately one year from the earthquake disaster. The water heated here is mainly used for the jacuzzi on the 4th floor, and at the same time, we opened the rooftop terrace as a relaxation space for guests, where Tokyo Skytree can be seen beautifully at night.

We will gradually exchange all of the lighting to LED lighting in our facility, and strive to reduce electricity consumption. To protect the future of Japan and children of Japan, and to conserve our animals and plants, we hope that we will stop relying on nuclear power one day by changing individual's awareness. We will make a fresh start as "Eco Andon Rykan" in the near future. Your support is greatly appreciated.

May 22nd, 2012 Toshiko Ishii