A capsule hotel is a type of hotel that is particularly common in Japan and arose from the need for inexpensive accommodation in large cities with a lack of space. After the first hotel of this kind opened in Osaka in the late 1970s, such hotels have established themselves as a cultural phenomenon. The °C capsule hotel in Japan, which we would like to present to you in today's article, was renovated in a contemporary way by the architectural studio Schemata Architects by combining the old sleeping cabins with saunas.
In the eight-story Shibuya Hotel in Tokyo, everything but the capsules was rebuilt. As part of this renovation project, the beige color of the existing capsules was adopted as the base color for the interior. Colors and materials were used that complement the original capsules as best as possible -dark screed floor, plywood cabinets and GRP plastic. For the Schemata team, this project was a real challenge and more difficult than a new building. The result in the interior is a successful combination of modern surfaces and retro details. The unique °C capsule hotel, pronounced “doe-shi”, offers its visitors micro-accommodation paired with a unique sauna experience.
AfterFinnish traditionVisitors can relax in the sauna at a room temperature of 90 °C and benefit from the many health benefits. There are warm showers installed so you can cool down your body after visiting the sauna. Hotel guests can choose between 15℃, 20℃, 25℃ and 30℃. Hotel visitors check in, leave their luggage in a locker, use the sauna and enjoy a restful night in sleeping bags in one of the capsules. The ℃ capsule hotel in Japan has 102 rooms for men and 60 for women. The sauna area is also used separately by men and women. You pay 1,000 yen per hour to use the sauna and 500 yen for each additional hour. Overnight accommodation costs 1,500 yen (US$13) for the first hour and 500 yen (US$4.5) for each additional hour.
Previously, the capsules were traditionally made of fiberglass and modular plastic and were intended for people who could not afford the regular hotels. Nowadays, this original form of hotel is no longer a cheap version of accommodation, but rather a further developed accommodation concept.
*a project bySchemata Architects
