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[Art Hotel] Staying at BnA Alter Museum (Kyoto)

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【アートホテル】BnA Alter Museum（京都）に泊まってみた。

BnA Alter Museum

We stayed at “BnA Alter Museum” in Kawaramachi, Kyoto, which opened on May 17, 2019.

BnA Alter Museum
BnA Alter Museum
The first floor has an art exhibition space and bar area
The first floor has an art exhibition space and bar area
A stylish bar
A stylish bar
Drinks and art, joined by music
Drinks and art, joined by music
We stayed in Room 303, an artist room. The paper on the right details house rules to be signed.
We stayed in Room 303, an artist room. The paper on the right details house rules to be signed.

The Room

Yusuke Nakano / Paramodel
“Birds nest in green trees by the pond; fish rest in green waves under the moon (The Model Paradise of Gojo-gawara)”

Room Concept
Close to the hotel lies the “Rokujo-Kawara-in Ruins,” a place that quietly holds the traces of the rise and fall of medieval Kyoto and that grew into a pleasure district in the Edo period. The beautiful yet hazy Noh play “Toru,” set there, provides the imaginative foundation for this room.
The fantastical quality of moonlight, the mysterious model world by the water, the panoramic view of the ancient capital, the elegant dance under the moon — the hallucinatory events of the double-structured dream Noh “Toru” are broken down and transformed into various parts within a metaphysical “model play,” inviting travellers to relive them and leading them to a “heterotopia” (elsewhere / other place / counter-place).

Entry with a card key.
Entry with a card key.
Rooms 303 and 403 are produced by Yusuke Nakano, a member of the art unit "Paramodel."
Rooms 303 and 403 are produced by Yusuke Nakano, a member of the art unit “Paramodel.”
The mystery of an artwork hanging exactly where you might bump your head
The mystery of an artwork hanging exactly where you might bump your head
Miniature works scattered around. The room is a no-shoes area, and the carpet is designed to look like it's growing with gra…
Miniature works scattered around. The room is a no-shoes area, and the carpet is designed to look like it’s growing with grass and moss.
A crane truck installed even on the ceiling
A crane truck installed even on the ceiling
Slide the blue wall and a white wall appears — the path to the bathroom.
Slide the blue wall and a white wall appears — the path to the bathroom.
Stylish
Stylish
The mystery of no telephone — you cannot call the front desk.
The mystery of no telephone — you cannot call the front desk.
An unusual number of power outlets. Two by the bed (with two USB jacks), around the desk, multiple on the walls, and even in…
An unusual number of power outlets. Two by the bed (with two USB jacks), around the desk, multiple on the walls, and even in the bathroom — plus an extension cord as a final push. The most outlets I’ve ever encountered!
A crane truck by the bedside too
A crane truck by the bedside too
Lighting has four levels. A fun feature is the fluorescent paint that glows, though the inability to switch it on and off fr…
Lighting has four levels. A fun feature is the fluorescent paint that glows, though the inability to switch it on and off from the bed is inconvenient — art.
The lighting control switch is fixed by the entrance.
The lighting control switch is fixed by the entrance.

Breakfast

Breakfast is highly recommended.
At 2,000 yen it’s a little pricey, but the content is quite wonderful, and there’s none of the rush you find with typical buffet-style breakfasts.

Breakfast (2,000 yen) — outstanding.
Breakfast (2,000 yen) — outstanding.
Breakfast menu
Breakfast menu
Fresh strawberry juice
Fresh strawberry juice
Potato soup
Potato soup
A boiled egg, seasoned with oil
A boiled egg, seasoned with oil
The main dish.
The main dish.
Delicious breads
Delicious breads
Coconut butter and jam
Coconut butter and jam
The dining area on the second floor also has art on display. Works by Yumi Nakata.
The dining area on the second floor also has art on display. Works by Yumi Nakata.
Work by Yumi Nakata
Work by Yumi Nakata

We were able to spend a relaxed morning enjoying art at the same time.

Art Viewing

After the meal, we viewed the art spots throughout the building, which connect from the dining area (guests can enter from 7:30).

Something seems to be present...
Something seems to be present…
Inside is an installation that evokes a hotel room.
Inside is an installation that evokes a hotel room.
You climb the outer staircase and move through the spaces on each floor.
You climb the outer staircase and move through the spaces on each floor.
A video installation by Muku Kobayashi. Fascinating!
A video installation by Muku Kobayashi. Fascinating!
The first floor also has a merchandise area for the artists.
The first floor also has a merchandise area for the artists.

BnA Alter Museum is an experimental project that builds a physical platform where travellers and Japanese artists can interact, under the theme of “art you can stay in.”

The variety of art in the rooms allows for a variety of stay experiences.
The design does not prioritise comfort but places art at the center. It seems well-suited to guests who wish to experience the non-everyday in the city of Kyoto.
Our impression is that it is more suited to short stays than long stays.

The hotel adopts a system that returns part of its profits to participating artists.
If initiatives that channel the viewing experience back to the artist succeed, the world of art will surely expand considerably.

Overview

BnA Alter Museum
Address: 267-1 Tenma-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8024
Phone: 075-748-1278
Official site: http://bnaaltermuseum.com/
Check-in: 15:00
Check-out: 11:00
Late check-out time: 18:00
Late check-out fee: 50%

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