See Why the Fashion and Architecture Worlds Are Leaping to the Defense of a Tokyo Hotel

Since its grand opening in 1962, Tokyo’s Hotel Okura has been a favorite haunt of elite aesthetes, its untouched,Mad Men–esque interiors luring top tastemakers and heads of state alike. But time is running out for these iconic spaces, which were designed by noted architects Yoshiro Taniguchi and Hideo Kosaka with the help of myriad artisans. Later this year, the hotel’s owners plan to demolish the historic main wing as part of an overhaul to the property in advance of the 2020 Olympic Games.

The hotel’s beloved lounge.

Thankfully, efforts are under way to save the Okura as we know and love it. At the helm of said campaign is none other than fashion designer Tomas Maier, the creative director of Bottega Veneta, which recently launched a broader brand program to preserve and promote Japan’s modern architecture. Thus far the fight has taken many forms, from an awareness-raising Instagram initiative (check out #mymomentatokura) to a symposium held last November.

Along the way, Maier has gathered a team of powerful allies, chief among them AD100 architect Toshiko Mori, his longtime friend and creative collaborator.ADsat down with her to learn more about the fate of this modern marvel.

Architectural Digest:How did the campaign begin?

Toshiko Mori:托马斯瞧ves the Okura. So when he found out they were going to demolish the hotel, he said, “I just can’t allow it.” This building really is the most amazing piece of architecture and design—a totally unique combination of modern elements and traditional crafts. He, of course, is very interested in craftsmanship. Bottega still uses traditional techniques and trains artisans in those methods. He sees a similar commitment evident in the Okura’s interiors.

A detail of the lounge’s window screens.

__AD:__Does that use of craft distinguish Japanese modernism as a whole?

TM:No, it’s specific to this building. There are references to traditional craft in other projects, but you don’t ever see actual handiwork blending so seamlessly with modern architecture.

__AD:__You’ve stayed there, I assume?

__TM:__I’ve been staying there for years. This is my favorite hotel. Atmospherically it’s beautiful but also acoustically it’s brilliant. You feel like you’re totally secluded from the city. Usually, at a hotel, it’s all hustle and bustle. But the layout and crowd control here is brilliant. And the site is also amazing—it’s on a hill with a very beautiful approach. It’s very rare in Tokyo to have this amazing topography.

Maier outside the Hotel Okura, which he is fighting to preserve as part of his initiative, launched with Bottega Veneta, to promote Japanese modernism.

__AD:__The lounge and restaurants, I gather, are a bit of a scene.

TM:You definitely see an interesting VIP crowd. Obama’s stayed there. The prime minister of Japan loves it there. Lots of prominent people—architects, designers, young CEOs—have meetings there. Because it’s very close to the Japanese government, you’ll see officials at the bar late at night. I’ve often overheard things and thought, Should that person really be talking about that?

Graphic patterns meet in a hotel corridor.

AD:Is there a viable alternative to demolition?

__TM:__There are two wings—one old and one new. It would make so much more sense to demolish the newer of the two and build up. Really, when you think about it, the whole situation is very ironic. The hotel was built to welcome an international crowd and showcase the best of Japan during the 1964 Olympics. Now it’s going to be destroyed for the Olympics.

__AD:__Why do you think modern buildings such as the Okura are underappreciated in Japan?

__TM:__There’s this theory that the Japanese are interested in scrap and build because they are looking at the traditions of places like the shrine of Ise, which is rebuilt every 20 years. That’s a little too simplistic, I think. Rebuilding Ise’s shrine is a tradition relating to craftsmanship—it’s a training program and a Shinto ritual. So you can’t equate it with a developer wanting to rebuild a hotel. The thing to keep in mind is this: Japan is a really old place with a lot of respect for old buildings. At the same time, because of the fast economic cycles, there is an obsession with novelty. Sixties buildings are fairly new but not new enough, not fashionable enough. They’re victims of neglect because they’re not traditional historic buildings but they’re not sufficiently new to claim continuous economic power. So the Okura is a bit of an orphan child—a very beautiful orphan child.

Midcentury mojo prevails in the hotel’s common spaces.

__AD:__Is there any hope it will be saved?

__TM:__I keep telling everyone to look at Carnegie Hall in 1960. It was going to be demolished, but then the violinist Isaac Stern, a single person, started a campaign to save it. At the last minute the city intervened. Can you imagine if they had destroyed Carnegie Hall? If one violinist can save Carnegie Hall then anything is possible.

For more information visitBottega Venetaandsavetheokura.com*