| Title |
The Spatial Structure of Shiroiya Hotel as the Urban Living Room |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2026.35.3.059 |
| Keywords |
Sou Fujimoto; Shiroiya Hotel; Spatial Structure; Part?Whole Relationship; Urban Living Room |
| Abstract |
This study examines the spatial structure of Shiroiya Hotel in Maebashi, Japan, designed by Sou Fujimoto, focusing on how the architect’s conceptual approach is realized in a built architectural environment. While previous studies on Sou Fujimoto and his works have primarily focused on his conceptual discourse and theoretical background, this study emphasizes the analysis of an actual built work and its spatial operation within the urban context. In particular, the study explores how Fujimoto’s ideas of the part?whole relationship and the integration of architecture, art, and nature appear across different spatial scales. The research analyzes the project through three spatial scales: the lounge space, the site composition, and the urban context. First, the lounge space reveals a layered spatial environment where architectural elements, artworks, plants, and furniture coexist and interact, forming a hybrid spatial condition. Second, at the site scale, the project demonstrates an architectural composition formed through the aggregation of heterogeneous elements, including renovated structures, newly added volumes, and diverse programs such as cafes and retail spaces. Third, in relation to the city, the hotel functions as an accessible and active public environment that connects urban circulation, cultural programs, and everyday activities. Through these analyses, the study argues that Fujimoto’s architectural concepts operate consistently across multiple spatial scales, forming a spatial environment that extends from interior architectural elements to the urban context. As a result, Shiroiya Hotel can be interpreted as a facility functioning as a “living room” of the city, where architectural space mediates between everyday life and cultural activities within the urban context of Maebashi. |