Near Ikebukuro station in Tokyo, the world’s first hostel–library, Book & Bed Tokyo, designed by architects Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida of Suppose Design Office opened in Tokyo on November 5.
The books at the hostel, more than 1700 volumes of various kinds in English and Japanese selected by Shibuya Publishing & Booksellers of Tokyo, are not for sale, and must be returned when guests leave the hostel.
The hostel is located on the seventh floor of the Lumiere Building and is a single big room measuring 140 m2.
The architects designed a wooden structure that fits together for the space, extending lengthwise along the room to determine and define different functions.
The structure is a library, the function the hostel serves by day, and at the same time contains the “bedrooms”. The 30 beds available are located in niches in the volume, and have different sizes. Soft lights, few furnishings and artistic installations on the ceiling, also related to books, complete the image of an intimate, informal environment intended primarily for young travellers.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Architects: Suppose Design Office (Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida)
Location: Lumiere Bldg. piano 7, 1-17-7 Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Images courtesy of Book & Bed Tokyo photo by Kastuhiro Aoki ©RSTORE 2015
http://www.suppose.jp/
http://bookandbedtokyo.com/