TOKYO -- The Imperial Hotel Tokyo, a famed landmark slated to undergo a lengthy $2 billion reconstruction, revealed on Wednesday the new design for the main building, which will resemble a multitiered palace.
Paris-based architect Tsuyoshi Tane chose a beige color scheme for the stone exterior. The midrise hotel will look like a staircase, with the "first step" entrance facing Hibiya Park.
"I aimed for an architecture with the luxurious feel of a palace that retained the appearance of a metropolitan grand hotel," Tane said.
Facility operator Imperial Hotel will begin rebuilding the tower adjacent to the main building in the fiscal year starting April 2024. That portion is due to be finished in fiscal 2030. Construction of the main building will start the following year, with the end date slated for fiscal 2036.
The hotel, with the Imperial Palace as a vista, has undergone three redesigns since it was built in 1890. The current 17-story building is home to about 570 rooms.
The main building of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo has been rebuilt three times. The latest one opened in 1970. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura ) The present hotel is an aging structure that has been open since 1970. The reconstruction looks to elevate the Imperial Hotel's brand so that it can compete with rivals from home and abroad.
Hilton and Marriott International are expanding in the Japanese hospitality industry, anticipating a recovery in travelers from abroad. Among domestic operators, Palace Hotel rebuilt its eponymous Tokyo site in 2012. Hotel Okura revamped its flagship location in the Japanese capital in 2019.
"Fifty years have passed, so we can't deny that [the Imperial Hotel] has fallen behind newer facilities," said Hideya Sadayasu, Imperial Hotel president.
The hotel's main building will be on 1.2 hectares. The number of rooms and floors has yet to be determined. Guest rooms will have more space, and the average unit price is due to be set higher than the current rate approaching 40,000 yen ($350).
Tane, 42, was born in Tokyo and has won numerous awards for his creations. The architect is known for works such as the Estonian National Museum and the restored Hotel de la Marine in Paris.
The main lobby of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, which is home to 570 rooms.