Behind its simple façade of latticed sugi (Japanese cedar), Malda Kyoto is nirvana for lovers of modern minimalism and Japanese craftsmanship. Dreamt up by Tokyo architect Nobuyuki Fujimoto (and designed in collaboration with Tokyo designer Hideaki Matsuura and Kyoto architect Shiro Miura), the hotel is deeply inspired, perhaps unexpectedly, by the late longtime Japan-based German-born designer Jurgen Lehl, whose work is synonymous with sustainability, organic materials and natural textiles. Aiming to act as a catalyst to inspire a “new way of living” among guests, the renovated four-storey structure is striking in both its simplicity and attention to detail.
A simple noren curtain, hand-dyed with plants by Kyoto artisans (the colour shifts with the season, from charcoal grey to off-white), marks the entrance to the intimate ground floor café, which has organic green walls, sculptural teak furnishings and hanging lights. Above are just three guestrooms, each spanning an entire floor and themed in a single colour (take your pick from red, blue or grey). The chosen shade spans both walls and textiles, alongside washed gravel floors, glass pendant lighting and grey bathrooms. Even the air matches the simple but thoughtful décor, courtesy of Hakudo, a sensory lingering of Japanese botanical essences by olfactory design studio Aoiro Design.
