Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s unique design evokes a strong sense of place, and is a superb combination of tradition, quality and innovation —attributes that distinguish Mandarin Oriental properties around the world. Designed as a ‘living tree’, the hotel promises to offer guests an extraordinary journey through nature when it opens in December 2005.  

The deluxe 179-room hotel is within the top floors of the soaring new Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower and adjacent Mitsui Main Building, a Registered Important Cultural Property. The extraordinary design of the hotel is part of an effort to build a new urban experience in Nihonbashi, a renaissance that is slowly returning the city’s business and financial district to its celebrated historical and cultural roots.

Guided by the main themes of ‘forest’ and ‘water’ the hotel is conceived as a single large tree, with the guestrooms as branches. These themes are expressed using original materials on everything from wall treatments, carpets, fabrics, screens and furniture. In keeping with traditional Japanese aesthetics, no single object has been created to stand alone, but rather all items come together to create a harmonious whole.

“Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo is perfectly located to appreciate the beauty that Tokyo has to offer, with incredible views of the Imperial Palace gardens, Sumida River and Tokyo Bay,” says General Manager, Christian Hassing. “Our guests will be able to relax and enjoy the hotel which has been designed to reflect a quiet forest in the midst of Tokyo,” he added. 

The ‘roots’ of Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo are nourished by a cascading waterfall located at the hotel entrance, while the ‘canopy’ located on the 38/F invokes the image of treetop branches and

leaves, through an abundance of leafy motifs. The overall effect gives the sensation of standing in the middle of a forest.

Reiko Sudo is the principal textile designer behind the creation of Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, and much of her creative design has literally been woven into the hotel. The original inspiration of using fabric as the centerpiece came from the traditional Japanese kimono.  Sudo is one of the founders of the Nuno Corporation — a company and retail store that produces and sells innovative functional fabric. Her name is synonymous with original textiles that blend tradition and technology, and her work has been showcased worldwide, with exhibitions in the United States, India, and Israel. Her creations are also featured in collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. 

Sudo, together with interior designers Lim Teo Wilkes Design Works (LTW) and Ryu Kosaka the hotel’s restaurant designer, incorporated original fabrics and materials that portray the artistic and cultural traditions of Japan throughout the hotel. “It has been an extraordinary privilege to work with Mandarin Oriental on this project,” said Sudo. “A great amount of effort has gone into every aspect of the design detail, and we are all delighted with the results,” adds Christian Hassing.

Reiko Sudo - Lim Teo Wilkes - Ryu Kosaka