BASE LAYER HOTEL NAGOYA NISHIKI

BASE LAYER HOTEL NAGOYA NISHIKI reimagines the traditional business hotel format by giving it a broader cultural role. MITSUI Designtec's renovation of this 22-year-old property aims to create a space that caters to work, rest, media consumption, wellness, and a deeper connection to the city—all encapsulated under the concept of a “Culture Business Hotel.” The name "Base Layer" hints at its purpose. A base layer is the first item worn, close to the body, designed to support everything that follows. Similarly, the hotel prioritizes essentials like sleep, bathing, storage, and work, then enhances these elements through colour, art, technology, and sauna culture.

This approach is ideal for short urban stays. A guest may arrive for business, spend an evening streaming a film, use the laundry facilities, book a sauna, socialize with friends nearby, and leave the next morning without any of these activities competing for attention. Each has enough space to feel intentional.

The renovation focuses on the areas that guests frequent the most. The entrance is accentuated with a dark stone base, an illuminated canopy, and a deep green threshold, while the reception area adopts this palette in a subtler way. Timber ceilings, dark counters, and long built-in seating establish a sense of order without overcrowding the space. Green is a recurring theme throughout the project. It can be found in upholstery, corridor walls, shower enclosures, signage, and selected joinery, giving the hotel a recognizable identity across various spaces. This controlled use of colour also serves as a navigation aid within the retained building.

Guest rooms are compact but thoughtfully planned. Beds, storage, work surfaces, and bathrooms are arranged with minimal wasted space, while pale timber, warm grey, and black metal maintain a restrained visual language. Larger Japanese-style rooms offer low seating, kitchenettes, and more flexible floor space, accommodating families, groups, and longer stays. One notable feature is the green shower booth. Its translucent enclosure provides visibility within the room, transforming a functional aspect into a part of the brand's identity. Privacy is available when needed, while the glass maintains an open and airy feel.

The rooms also reflect how guests spend their downtime today. Large screens, shelves, pegboards, and graphic panels support streaming, gaming, and the use of personal devices, ensuring the room feels modern without conforming to a specific lifestyle image. Wellness also plays a significant role in the hotel's identity. Selected suites include private löyly saunas with cold bathing, integrated into the overall experience. Bookable sauna rooms extend this wellness ritual throughout the building, with heat, cold, and recovery processes organized around "totonou," the Japanese practice of physical and mental reset.

This program adds value beyond simple accommodation. The sauna can become a compelling reason to stay, while comfortably coexisting alongside the practical aspects of work, laundry, and media use.

The retained building also contributes to the project's character. Existing hardware and infrastructure are preserved where feasible, with investments focused on surfaces, equipment, and functions that enhance daily use. This approach results in a focused renovation that respects the building’s original structure while providing a new identity through selective changes.

BASE LAYER HOTEL NAGOYA NISHIKI combines the efficiency of a business hotel with a broader vision for urban stays. MITSUI Designtec has integrated work, rest, local culture, digital life, and sauna traditions within one cohesive framework, giving the hotel a contemporary relevance that goes beyond just an overnight stay.

The project excels in its nuanced repositioning. By adopting the "Culture Business Hotel" concept, the design goes beyond simple marketing, creating a tangible synergy among room diversity, media capabilities, and dedicated wellness amenities. A cohesive identity flows throughout the space, from the building’s entrance to its private areas. The renovation strategy displays remarkable restraint. By honouring the existing structure and mechanical infrastructure, the design team prioritizes meaningful improvements, directing resources toward guest-centric functions and services. This approach gives the twenty-two-year-old property a revitalized character, demonstrating that transformation can be achieved through strategic curation. The sauna experience is a highlight of the overall narrative. Private suites and accessible public areas offer a seamless journey, treating heat, cold, and recovery as a deliberate, integrated sequence. Wellness becomes an integral part of the guest experience, woven into the very essence of the hospitality offering.

The "Culture Business Hotel" designation represents a significant evolution in urban hospitality, effectively merging professional needs with personal leisure. MITSUI Designtec creates an environment where essential amenities are harmoniously combined with elevated lifestyle features. This successful integration is evident in the inclusion of private saunas and immersive media zones, transforming ordinary overnight stays into purposeful experiences. The project exemplifies adaptive reuse. By identifying key touchpoints such as the arrival sequence, bathing facilities, and relaxation areas, the design team focuses investments on elements that foster meaningful guest interactions. This careful curation grants the existing property a renewed identity, demonstrating that thoughtful modifications can lead to impactful results. The hotel sets a standard for contemporary design, showcasing how structural legacy can serve as a foundation for innovative hospitality concepts.

**Image 01 — Renewed Street Entrance** An illuminated horizontal canopy extends from the existing dark façade above a green-framed glass entrance. Stone, planting, and understated signage collaborate to create a new identity at the point where guests arrive at the building.

**Image 02 — Reception and Waiting Area** A dark ribbed desk sits beneath three information screens, framed by timber ceilings and warm wall panels. Long benches with green cushions keep the lobby open while providing designated areas for waiting and organizing luggage.

**Image 03 — Double Guest Room** This compact room integrates a bed, desk, open storage, washbasin, and a green-glazed shower booth into one continuous view. The design utilizes transparency and built-in furniture to make the limited space feel functional rather than cramped.

**Image 04 — King Guest Room** The bed is framed by a pegboard display wall, with pale timber furniture and green accents. Personal-scale items and adaptable hooks add personality while maintaining the simple geometry suited for a business stay.

**Image 05 — Private Sauna Suite** This suite features a timber löyly sauna, a cold bathing area, and an enlarged sleeping room as part of a self-contained wellness sequence. The materials transition from warm pale wood to cooler stone and dark green, distinctly defining each stage of the ritual.

**Image 06 — Japanese-Style Guest Room** Low beds, beanbag seating, a round table, and a compact kitchenette create a versatile room suitable for longer or shared stays. Timber cabinetry and green surfaces adhere to the brand's aesthetic while the open layout accommodates various patterns of use.

**Image 07 — Bookable Public Sauna Room** This room features dark tiles, pale sauna timber, an integrated cold plunge, and reclining chairs to create a dedicated heat-and-recovery environment. Oversized illuminated graphics provide the functional space with a strong identity without adding extra decoration.

**Image 08 — Corridor, Laundry, and Signage System** The final image showcases long corridors in green and grey, a bright self-service laundry, and exterior or floor-guide signage. Essential circulation and service functions are incorporated as visible components of the guest experience rather than as leftover spaces.

No architectural plans or sections were provided, so the spatial analysis is limited to observations made from the presentation boards and photographs.

The reception sequence is compact and carefully designed. The desk, built-in bench, and lift are arranged to keep the arrival area clear while providing enough open space for luggage and movement. The lighting focuses attention on the service point, and the darker color palette helps guide guests quickly from the street into the hotel's interior atmosphere.

Guestrooms feature a compact service spine, aligning the wash area, storage, and sleeping functions in close proximity. Transparent or translucent shower enclosures maintain visual depth, while larger room types expand on this basic layout by incorporating additional seating or kitchenette functions. The planning is consistent across all room categories, allowing for variations in use without altering the overall spatial language.

The sauna areas introduce a different sequence focused on heat, cold, and recovery. In the private suites, these functions are integrated directly into the room. The shared sauna facilities provide a clearer distinction between stages, employing changes in materials, lighting, and signage to make each stage immediately understandable.

Throughout the project, the spatial strategy involves selective interventions within the existing hotel framework. The reception, guestrooms, corridors, laundry, and wellness areas are differentiated through the use of color, furniture, lighting, and added elements. This approach enables the 22-year-old building to adopt a new operational identity without requiring extensive structural changes.

BASE LAYER HOTEL Concept A hotel with the essential functions to support a comfortable stay and exciting urban exploration. A new hotel brand born from the rebranding and renovation of a 22-year-old property. BASE LAYER HOTEL aspires to be a "Culture Business Hotel." In Nagoya, a city where business and leisure seamlessly intertwine, we have established a new category of branded hotel where both types of guests can spend time comfortably and true to themselves. Both in its physical environment and service philosophy, this new hotel provides the "essential functions" that deliver the experiential value of a "comfortable stay" and "enjoyable city exploration" tailored to every need. For our business guests, we offer a unique, "long-awaited" hotel experience that caters to business trips with a cultural touch. For our leisure guests, we aim to be the destination of choice for culture enthusiasts seeking a stylish and unique place to stay. To ensure guests can enjoy their own personal time, our rooms feature a minimalist and simple design packed with functionality, all unified in our local brand color, green. Turning minimalism into a strength, the shower booths are designed as striking spatial accents. The guest room walls incorporate a playful spirit, allowing for original customization to help create rich and unique memories. Furthermore, we provide an abundance of content to enrich your time at the hotel. We offer both suite rooms equipped with private "löyly" saunas and private sauna rooms available for hourly rental. Here, guests can experience the ultimate state of "Totonou" (total mind-body alignment) by immersing themselves in an authentic cold plunge before relaxing in a reclining chair. Every room is equipped with a large-screen TV and high-end equipment, allowing guests to enjoy movies and video content with immersive power. Our diverse range of room types ensures that every guest can enjoy a high-quality stay. From the interior design and signage to the amenities, every element is meticulously crafted to build the consistent world of BASE LAYER HOTEL. As a rebranding and full renovation project, our "hidden concept" was to utilize the existing structural hardware while strategically updating both the interior and facilities throughout the building.

Prepared for Merci Magazine × Sky Design Awards 2026