If you’ve ever been to a W hotel, you’ll know you’re in one. It’s a maximum decadent design for the upscale traveler seeking modern luxury and contemporary design. We have several people on our team that has worked for technology companies in the United States and Canada.
Some of our writers worked for companies that went to events in California. As you’d guess, some of these marquee industry events would have major sponsorships for evening networking mixers at bars or other venues. You guessed it. Some of our writers got to enjoy a W hotel. Specifically, the W Hotel San Fran (San Francisco).
While no direct comparison to the Hard Rock’s of the old world, every W hotel has its own signature and design for a location. Unbelievably, W Hotel’s first hotel “ever” in Japan, launched in 2021 after a 2.5-year construction schedule. We can’t confirm if that schedule was impacted as a result of the COVID19 pandemic but the timeline seems reasonable for the scale of this project.
There is an interesting twist to this project. Osaka is an ancient harbor city. The twist? Sekisui House (owner) and Marriott International (operator) decided to call on an architectural firm located in a European harbor city: Amsterdam. The firm? Amsterdam’s Concrete Architectural Associates.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Table of Contents
- W Hotel in Osaka, Japan
- Concrete Showstoppers
- FIRST FLOOR: Entering W Osaka
- The Second Floor: Osaka W’s Ballroom and Function Rooms
- The Fourth Floor: Health and Wellness
- The Sixth Floor: Where the Guests Play
- The Image Gallery
W Hotel in Osaka, Japan
W Osaka is located on Midosuji, Boulevard. This is the main, primary street in central Osaka. Running North-South, it passed through many districts such as Namba, Ame-mura, Shinsaibashi, Nakanoshima, Dōtonbori, and Umeda. The boulevard is an ultra-high-end, high-class shopping street no different from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. High-end retail brand stores such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Apple’s flagship store are located here. In the fall, this street becomes beautiful and bright yellow from roadside Ginkgo trees and pink from the much-loved cherry blossoms.
“Midōsuji Boulevard (御堂筋) in Osaka” by jdmonin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The W Hotel project led Concrete into a deep exploration of Osaka. Past. Present. Future. A deep look into natural and urban landscapes. Japan is a fascinating culture and we are Japan-O-philes. We look at Japan’s approach to life, simplicity, and minimalist design.
The Dutch designers were mesmerized by Osaka because of its associations with water, nature, neon, and bright colors. If you’re into magical colors, Osaka is for you! Not odd to us but many others, Osaka and other populous cities are a strange mix of vibrant colors, urban landscapes, and Japanese minimalism. Downtown Dotonbori and Osaka – the nightlife district – may feel like Las Vegas but maybe 10 times great on the flashing neon scale. Your eyes will find it joyfully beautiful and breathtakingly vivid.
“Dotombori, Central Osaka, Japan.01” by Geoff Whalan is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Osaka’s vibrant and extravagant colors, coupled with serene natural beauty, helped Concrete’s designers to embed the sprawling metropolis’ spirit in the W Osaka project. The hotel’s interior is a breathtaking example of color execution, dynamic variation, and minimalist design. When we show some of the photos to a select few peers, we heard, “Wow. WOW. WOW!!” It’s not easy to get this kind of reaction. Sincere congrats to the Concrete team!
Concrete’s desire to embed the city’s spirit into the project is a matter of respect. Osaka was the imperial capital of Japan and its economic hub. Trade was central to a key harbor that was fed by visitors through the Yodo River. Over time, this would become a prosperous port, contributing new culture, technology, and innovations for Osaka’s benefit. Then and now, citizens and visitors can experience an extroverted atmosphere that is lively, attracting international business and visitors.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Concrete Showstoppers
The Facade’s W sign: First Floor
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The iconic W is made of hundreds of perfectly round and shiny chrome balls
The Arrival Tunnel: First Floor
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
More than 3000 circles were laser cut into sturdy metal and folded randomly (inspiration: blossoms and origami)
3D Asanoha Ceiling: First and Second Floors
Asanoha patterns is a very popular traditional pattern seen on the Japanese kimono, which in simplest terms, is a robe shaped like a “T”. The geometric pattern usually represented overlapped hemp leaves. Asa means hemp. No means of. Ha means leaf.
Concrete designers took cues from this traditional Japanese garment (thing to wear) to support grand entrances to the W Hotel’s first and second floors.
According to the Book of Japanese Design, Japanese families would have infants wear the Asanoha because they believed the child would adopt the toughness and vigor of the hemp plant. As well, hemp grows fast so that Asanoha patterns could be used in the clothes of newborns more often. Merchant wives wore it for good luck.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The Golden Pre-Function Room: Second Floor
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
FIRST FLOOR: Entering W Osaka
W Osaka’s facade signage has two reference points. The building, at its height, boasts a 3-meter tall, backlit warm white W, serving as a reminder that there’s more than one beacon in Gotham. Batman, eat your heart out. International travelers can easily place the city landmark and enjoy RGB backlights which reflect seasonal colors used within the hotel complex itself.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
At street level, the covered entrance (porte-cochere) is graced with W signage that contains the meticulous of designers, considering hundreds of shiny chrome balls, to grab attention and align to surrounding colors and shapes.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The arrival tunnel acts to serve up a 10x “wow factor” for hotel patrons. People used to call something ritzy, which signified class or luxury beyond imagination. That word became commonplace around 1910, to reflect on elegant Ritz Hotels which César Ritz opened internationally in the 19th century. He was a. Swiss hotelier, founding several institutions such as the Hôtel Ritz in Paris or Ritz and Carlton Hotels in London.
Credit to Concrete and partners in this project threatening the Ritz’s use as an adjective on what can be described as luxury. Writz anyone? 😉 The long entrance is gobsmacking, with more than 3000 laser-cut metal circles, folded randomly, to emulate blossoms with an inspired appreciation for the fine art of origami. It’s probably the first tunneled entrance you will not want to rush through.
The tunnel floods your visual senses thanks to RGB-LED lighting which changes by season with pink, blue, gold, and purple hues. Intensity changes between day and night and the metal is white powder coated.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Once hotel patrons reach the end of the long, arrival tunnel, they are graced with the arrival lobby. Check-in is on the 3rd floor, while the spas can be found on the 4th floor. A stairway leads to the 2nd floor, where Osaka W meeting rooms and hotel functions are held.
The Second Floor: Osaka W’s Ballroom and Function Rooms
Be it a meeting, wedding, or corporate party, Osaka W guests are graced with a mesmerizing walk from the arrival lobby up by the iconic oak hexagonal asanoha staircase. The crafted oak steps offer spatial drama, complemented with sakura pink metal tubing. All this leads to a vibrant main pre-function space.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The second-floor bows to the asanoha pattern as a design cue for the ceiling, floor, and staircase. The ceiling is a bold, extroverted definition of this geometric pattern, while the granite floor plays an equal and accurate reflectional role, with 6 shades of black and dark grey. The stainless, satin steel walls help to reflect colors and shapes.
Mirrors mounted above the walls take shapes into, what appears, like infinity. Pink-neon lighting systems dress up the top end of each wall to mirror what Concrete designers saw in Osaka nightlife. The neon lighting creates shadow tricks with the three-dimensional ceiling for enhanced effect.
Behind a staircase, patron guests can enjoy a buffer and freestanding bar, with an amazing pink marble countertop and cabinet metal doors that ooze pink-tint. If you want to Writz it up, even more, this is supported with a bronzed-pink mirror.
The bar itself has oak stools and the surrounding stairwell and general area are styled with origami-inspired poufs, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka for Italian-based Moroso. Arrangement with Hay side tables makes for a perfect fusion between the best Japanese and European designs.
Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin yoshioka inc. – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Curid=89617318)
Our team would not be providing good service if we didn’t elaborate on Tokujin-san’s highly-respected work. He is an active, well-regard Japanese designer and artist. He has worked in areas of design, architecture, and contemporary art. Yes, he’s achieved international acclaim for key work in light and nature.
The glass bench, known as the “Water Block” at the Musée d’Orsay, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch demonstrate some of his many masterpieces. Many of his works have been chosen and added to permanent collections in world-renowned museums, including MoMA (Musée National d’Art Moderne, Le Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
In 2007, Tokujin-san was named as one of the 100 most respected Japanese in the world by Newsweek and he has won many international design awards.
Guests enter through the oak portal with four double doors. Traditional Osaka inspired the design with interiors based on a 2:1 ratio of tatami mats. There is a perfect dance between futuristic/contemporary and classical materials.
Once again, walls and ceilings present an eye-catching three-dimensional pattern that alternates oak, with champagne-gold metal and beautifully LED lighting which gives off an atomic-age feel. Alternating shades of grey wallpaper site behind the framework design. Doors are hidden with a 1:1 ratio of tatami to door.
Rooms Blend European and Japanese Design
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The oversized asanoha–patterned carpet has rich shades of gold which is emblematic of Midōsuji Boulevard’s autumn foliage of ginkgo trees which you can see outside the large windows.
The oak tunnel is supported by service bars on each side, for patron convenience. At the center, the room has a large oak buffet table and two smaller tables emblematic of a cross. The wood is crafted using traditional Japanese joining techniques. This arrangement is supported by grey and yellow origami-inspired poufs (by Moroso) and side tables for casual seating.
A Golden Pre-Function Room
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
A tunnel clad in oak connects the main pre-function room to the second pre-function room. This space is designed for more intimate groups – or as a breakout area for meetings. With its striking, star-shaped vaulted ceiling, this room unites the oak framework structures of the function room and studios off to each side – a design inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture.
Here, the oversized asanoha–patterned carpet is in rich shades of gold – inspired by the autumn foliage of the ginkgo trees lining Midōsuji Boulevard, seen just outside the window. On either side of the oak tunnel is a service bar, with a grey countertop and cabinets with stainless steel doors. All backed by a grey-tinted mirror.
Forming the centerpiece of the room is a large oak buffet table and 2 smaller tables, forming a cross – and crafted using traditional Japanese wood joinery. This is surrounded by playfully positioned poufs and side tables.
Grand Meeting Room / Wedding Chapel
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Entering, you will see a vaulted, oak framework ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows in the grand meeting room. The room is airy and has an open structure. Small globe lamps sparkle like stars and act like they are suspended in mid-air. The carpet is luscious in its golden asanoha pattern. This pattern helps unify space between rooms — between pre-function and the grand meeting room.
A large window at one end of this room ensures proper natural lighting. The beautifully arranged deep oak design supports champagne-gold velvet curtains to reduce external light as needed. Behind all this, you will find a retractable projector screen and a hidden tech room. On the other end of this beautifully arranged room, the portal is small with velvet curtains to achieve symmetry. The area has divisional oak panels which are slide across to dive the area into two functional rooms.
The banquet chairs are delicious! The color arrangement provides symmetry in color with autumn gold shades for the stackable meeting chairs. Chairs are comfortable to have square seats which alternate between circular and square backs. The stackable banquet chairs were designed by Frederik Roijé for Puik Design — notable Dutch influences.
W Osaka: Technical Project Details
| PROJECT | Osaka W |
| CLIENT & OWNERSHIP | Sekisui House |
| HOTEL OPERATOR | Marriott International |
| SOURCE MATERIAL | IMAGES | Vcom Newswire, Concrete, Marriott International |
| HOTEL DESIGNER | Concrete |
| PROJECT LOCATION | 4-1-3 Minami Senba, Chuo-ku 542-0081, Osaka, Japan +81 6-6361-7330 Website |
| PROJECT TEAM | Rob Wagemans, Bart de Beer, Julia Hundermark, Sofie Ruytenberg, Cathelijne Vreugdenhil, Femke Zumbrink, Marlou Spierts, Sylvie Meuffels, Rene Kroondijk, Erik van Dillen, Valentina Venturi, Petra Moerbeek, Minouk Balster |
| INTERIOR DESIGN, GRAPHIC & SIGNAGE DESIGNER, STYLING | Concrete |
| EXECUTIVE INTERIOR DESIGNER | Nikken Space Design |
| ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN | Nikken Sekkei |
| FACADE SUPERVISION | Tadao Ando |
| LIGHTING CONSULTANT / SPECIALIST LIGHTING | LPA / Koizumi, Daiko Electric |
| GENERAL CONTRACTOR / SIGNAGE CONTRACTOR | Takenaka / Nihon Sign |
| SUPPLIERS | InOut (off the shelf furniture), Toli (carpets), Suminoe (carpets), Kawashima (curtains) |
| BESPOKE ARTWORK | InOut (off the shelf furniture), Toli (carpets), Suminoe (carpets), Kawashima (curtains) |
| TOTAL FLOOR AREA / TOTAL FLOORS | 398, 264.69 Square Feet / 27 Floors |
| CONSTRUCTION PERIOD | 2.5 years |
| ROOMS | 337 Rooms, Average Room Size 430.56 Square Feet |
| SUITES | 50 Rooms, From 667.36 to 2152.78 Square Feet |
| FLOOR AREA, PER SECTION | 1F arrival tunnel, lobby: 2152.78 square feet 2F ballroom, pre-function: 6996.54 square feet 2F wedding chapel, studios: 4628.48 square feet 3F reception, living room, bar: 7319.46 square feet 3F Oh.lala… restaurant: 3767.37 square feet 3F Ukiyo Sushi restaurant: 592.02 square feet 4F Away spa, beauty bar: 4520.84 square feet 4F WET pool, courtyard, bar: 7750.02 square feet 4F FIT gym, members lounge: 2583.34 square feet |
| LAUNCH DATE | MARCH 2021 |
Third Floor: Osaka W’s Heart
The 3rd floor is the hotel’s heart. The center for all social activities. Patrons arrive on the 3rd floor each time for their check-in but also their dining experience. Classic oak floors paint the floor while white curtains with origami-style pleats flow throughout in a zig-zag style.
Upon arrival, guests check-in as welcomed with round pod-seating on red rugs, which are pachinko-inspired. Osaka W’s reception is surrounded by zigzag curtains against white walls. Beautiful in execution, RGB LED lights in thin, vertical fashion glow through the curtains, with colors that change according to season. The receptionists stand behind pachinko-inspired stations. To add to the warmth and welcome comfort, chrome balls hang from above, shining a warm downlight.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
White curtains connect separate spaces for guests and can appear like a meandering, infinite shoji screen. The curtains can be used to cover walls, separate and define spaces, or reveal access to elevators or the bar.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The Bar
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Upon exit from the elevator, Osaka patrons see the bar first on the third floor. Travelers may be coming off a long flight and may seek a small refreshment before heading to their rooms to de-compress. The bar glows with defined rows of chochin-style, but simplified versions of Japanese lanterns. VIP booths behind the bar area benefit from larger versions. Traditional rice paper generally creates the warmth of traditional Japanese lanterns but Concrete-led design is considered Acrylic for its durability.
If you look closely, mirror and reflection techniques are applied at the bar as well. The final row, under the bar’s arrangement chochin-style lamps, is pill-shaped and styled as chrome sake bottles from Kenya Hara, a Japanese graphics designer.
Satin stainless steel enhances the pill-shaped bar, which surrounds the mirrored column with illuminated bottle steps. A white marble counter is completed by black, white, and grey bar stools on one end, while the other end enjoys a raised platform for table-height seating in neon-bright pink, orange, magenta, and purple. The colors match the VIP seating behind the bar as well.
Rotating Stage
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
How can you not experience humor, singing, or manzai comedy in Osaka? The rotating crimson stage is a performance venue for the brave. Grab the microphone, take center stage and sing! The other end of this stage provides 2-level seating. Performers are spotlighted with red-dot ceiling features which give the feel of theater lighting.
Whatever/Whenever – Concierge
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Located near elevators, restaurants, and the welcome area, this is the concierge area. The eye-catching backlit stainless cupboard contains modern upgrades of traditional kokeshi dollars, each with unique character to represent the diverse clientele at Osaka W.
Insider’s Booth
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The Insider’s Booth is half-circled, with an interior recess patterned with shiny pachinko balls. It reminded one of the members of our team of a science fair exhibition that was lined with a similar pattern to make it sound-proof. The dark green sofa is semi-circled, supported by a potting table, making this the perfect place for private conversation or ambient relaxation while enjoying social cocktails.
The Living Room
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The living room is inspired to be a people-watching zone. Half indoors, half outdoors, a covered patio is divided by a ceiling-high glass facade. Stylized by tatami mats, a signature Japanese tradition, the marble floor layout helps define spaces, both inside and out.
The entire space is patterned to enable social life. Furniture is a curation of lounge chairs, sofas, and poufs in bold, bright colors such as green, blue, orange, yellow, purple, and pink. It counters Osaka neon but is wonderfully suitable. Lounge chairs are from Italian-based Tacchini, while sofas are designed by Dutch-based sculptor Atelier van Lieshout from Dutch-based Lensvelt AVL Glyder.
Design and organization in the outdoor terrace include a long bench and bamboo plants separate cityscapes from the patio, ensuring some privacy but still allowing for curious glances at city life. The indoor lounge is surrounded by the beautiful accent of rectangular lamps, horizontal and vertical, differentiated by height. The effect is a zigzag feel of LED neon lighting through acrylic with a translucent effect.
VIP Room
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
How about some intimate, crimson leather for the circular bench, sofa, and walls of this cozy interior. Further accents include round and square crimson pillows. The room is also surrounded by an electronic ticker display system for graphics or personal messages. The central bench can be removed, converting to a buffet table with a white marble top.
However, there are secrets here. A secret VIP bar can be found behind a section of leather sofa and wall. Above, the VIP room is stylized with an extra-large version of Moooi’s Raimond Lamp. It’s a double-shelled sphere, of stainless steel strips, with LED lights emulating a star system. Oh, la la!
Oh.LaLa: The Restaurant
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Did you know Japan loves French food and wine? Osaka W offers all-day French and international dining in the 160-seat Oh.lala restaurant. The restaurant has a collaboration agreement with Michelin-star restaurant, La Cime.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
An amazing view of Midōsuji Boulevard is possible because of ceiling-height windows. As you can expect, the traditional French copper pots and pans inspire the interior. The zigzag blue and white strips mirror and reflect similar patterns of circles and zigzags through the hotel.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Curtains curve booths and tables, and merge with the traditional shared brasserie dinner table, copper-toned for distinctive appeal. Seating can be found near windows and niches along a back wall.
Round and square sofas can be found in booths, along walls, with alternating white and black leather. Square tabletops come in white marble or oak, supported by copper stands to maintain the traditional French experience. Chairs come in 2 blue tones and include Arper Duna 2 swivel or a classic Thonet type.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Stainless steel shelves display unique porcelain objects with blue dot accents, to emulate traditional French colors with Osaka boldness. The cloud of small glass pendant lights, with varying heights, add sparkle in coordination with curved curtains. Subtle downlighting is provided by copper-toned chandeliers.
Open and Cold Kitchen
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Blue and white chevron tiles accent the open kitchens. Similar to a Teppanyaki experience, diners can get front-row to the chef as s(he) works. Alki Kuskoa stools, in white, black, or blue leather, align to high, communal oak tables. Buffet-style is the name of the game here but there is direct access to the cold kitchen with a display case for cooling foods. Breton-style tiling readily appears.
The open kitchen screams stainless steel and is lined up with copper accents from pots, pans, and related French atmospheric elements.
Ukiyo: Secret Menu includes Secret Sushi Restaurant
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
A secret world exists. We know about it now thanks to our investigative team. The trick is gaining access when you make it to Osaka W. There maybe code words, secret handshakes, and winks, here and there, to get to the bottom of this mystery. The key is a coveted reservation. Your only hint is a small fish emblem on a stainless door with stainless steel portal frames. Unassuming, it is reported. Yet somehow, magically descriptive. 😉
Motion detection is your puzzle. Simply wave your hand, a sensor activates, and the door creaks open into a narrow hallway, again with stainless steel, supported by a frosted mirror. Welcome to Ukiyo.
There are only 10 special seats. Guests enjoy a framed view of Osaka and Ukiyo’s mysterious sushi chef, delighting diners with culinary master craftsmanship on another stainless steal-defined counter. The entire experience is built on a raised platform of Japanese zelkova hardwood. Japanese zelkova is often grown as an ornamental tree and used in bonsai.
In perfect unity, the restaurant’s wooden frame serves a perfect contrast to chrome-ball chain-style curtains and grey marble floors. Textile art graces the experience, with Osaka’s relationship to water, thanks to a waterscape designed by Lok Jansen, a Dutch artist living in Japan. The waterscape emulates flowing water and shimmering creatures of the water world, supported by bubbles in Risography colors – a Japanese invention.
Upon leaving your secret dining experience, you will see another fish emblem on the door exiting the restaurant. It is nibbled to the bone. Touche.
The Fourth Floor: Health and Wellness
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Inspiration for elements and accents of the fourth floor is drawn from the famous Japanese hot springs and bathing facilities and traditional inns that look out to nature. Better known as onsen, they are scattered throughout Japan’s major islands.
Wall paintings and what appears to be an endless horizon line connect all spaces. An illuminated chrome horizon flows along the walls, between stone and tiling, providing a modern, contemporary feel.
‘AWAY’ Spa Beauty Bar
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The heart of this floor is the beauty bar, which offers patrons non-alcoholic drinks. Natural curves are made with half-round oak slats and like other floors, the acrylic countertop offers a warm white glow. The illuminated base makes the bar appear as if it’s floating away from the grey marble floor.
A custom light fixture creates an attractive focal point for the bar and is made with acrylic tubes, with brass rings, of varying sizes. Looking behind the bar, wavy curtains is a beauty pod for those quick massage sessions to energize your day.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
‘AWAY’ Spa Treatment Rooms
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Osaka W patrons can choose standard treatment rooms, single or double VIP rooms. Accented by oak floors, the rooms include white/grey granite tiled floor bathrooms, with lit vanities from crystal Mizu pendants, and a shower.
Half-round oak slats surround treatment rooms above a center chrome divider. A stain stainless steel countertop, with sink, shelving, frosted mirror, and Mizu pendant lights finalize the design elements. The cove ceiling provides an inspired finish. For VIP patrons, access to a private soaking bath is also available.
FiT gym
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
A corridor leads guests to the gym, allowing workouts with great city views. The tiled grey shades are separated by a chrome divider from the grey marble wall at the bottom. LED artwork emulates an Osaka landmark known as the Gilco Running Man but in neon. Interestingly, Filipino sprinter Fortunato Catalon is among several men that inspired Osaka’s landmark.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Member’s Lounge
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Shaded pink tiles with grey marble separated by a chrome horizon accent the member’s lounge. The pathway flows with leather sofas, towel drop-off, and is arranged with sofas and chairs and communal tables next to large windows overlooking the city.
Swimming Pool and Wet Deck
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Comfortable day beds with brass side tables and ceilings are tucked in cozy niches accented by cobalt blue, grey granite, and recessed RGB LED lighting to reflect vibrant, seasonal colors.
Courtyard
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Designed for sky views and open-air elements, the courtyard, the layout, and patterns feel like a tropical beach oasis. Sliding glass doors provide access and view for indoor spaces and a unique pivoting wood panel wall with shiny metal offers different accents to the open space.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
WET Bar
The Wet bar can be accessed from the courtyard. Inspired by the blue pool shades, the tiled walls are similar with grey marble matching below the horizon as seen in other spaces like the FIT room. Above the bar, 2 large lighted brass rings highlight colorful bottles and are supported by 5 additional inter-linked brass rings which are an LED lighting system.
The bar is surrounded by stainless saddle seated stools. We’re not fans of saddle seating but most patrons are likely to head back to your comfy lounge sofa near the pool or the courtyard.
The Sixth Floor: Where the Guests Play
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Osaka W provides guest rooms from the 6th to the 27th floor in a variety of combinations which include Double Queen, Standard King, or corner suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. For the discerning guest, the hotel provides the presidential "Extreme Wow" suite, a 2153 square foot playground, and a sleep sanctuary. Floors alternate colors between blue and the photo above displaying sakura pink accents.
Elevators are frames by the light around edges of walls, floor, and ceiling and dark-grey mirrored walls create an infinity effect of reflections. Each floor is lined with dark grey mirrors. Corridors at one end have walls in corrugated aluminum, a material often seen in Osaka architecture. The other side is polished sparkly cement walls. Custom carpeting, lines corridors with overlapping concentric semi-circles which emulate the blue and sea wave pattern from sixth-century Seigaiha.
Each room has a walnut door in a walnut niche with recessed lighting that provides a healthy glow and ambient comfort. Rooms are numbered by satin stainless steel with neon lighting which glows in a halo of blue or pink, depending on the floor.
Standard Guest Rooms
Guest rooms, benefit from alternating color themes per floor, in blue or sakura pink. Upon entry, guests see a walnut hallway and semi-open bathroom, and a view to the bedroom and living room. Natural light is gained by ceiling-height windows with a spectacular view of Osaka.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Guests may prefer their semi-open bathroom to be closed off. Osaka W offers a unique translucent glass sliding screen – similar in concept to traditional shoji screens — to deliver some privacy. Bathrooms are accented in grey marble and provide guests with a bathtub or separate shower behind the glass door. The room is beautifully inspired by a pouf made from similar fiber material used for tatami mats.
Walnut flooring for the bedroom and a walnut ledge for the living room space provides uniform accents. The room can support a Standard King or Double Queen bed, with room for a sofa. Additional elements include bed tables, cone lamps, soft lighting for the ledge, and a rice paper lamp that provides a soft glow from the wall.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Gamers rejoice! Behind the walnut closet doors, pixorama art of Osaka’s famous landmarks shines in pixelated color thanks to EBoy graphic designers.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Further room definition includes a living room space, supported by soft carpeting in pink, blue, or grey, a sofa, and a walnut cocktail bar with two stools for drinks, outside views, and desk work. The nook is supported by a minibar, neon refinements, glassware, cocktail shaker, and the appropriate items for a tea ceremony.
EWOW Suite: Your Extreme Wow Presidential Experience
The 27th floor is your place for extreme – wow – views of Osaka’s skyline. Similar to Japanese homes, the suite has several rooms. In this case, five rooms are divided by deep oak spaces, with oak plank flooring common to the dining room, bedroom, and garden entrance. Grey marble accents doors, windows, and the bathroom. Rooms gain privacy with sliding shoji screens styled in brass frames.
There is a poetic tension between extravagance and simplicity to the overall design, giving guests the choice for ambiance or a more vibrant atmosphere to entertain others.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The EWoW entrance embraces a biophilic design, with guests entering the garden room through double doors. This is the suite’s heart and emulates a zen environment with live trees, flooding the space with oxygen. Styled rugs and stone-grey poufs express a rugged natural environment of stones and natural earth.
Space is spoiled by a double-height ceiling with a textile-based skylight that changes color for entertainment.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
The large, beautiful bedroom contains a king-sized bed on top of an oak platform, with a colorful leather sofa. Across from the bed is a TV mounted to an oak tripod. The bedroom is separated by a wall with panels that pivot individually and separate bedrooms and dressing rooms. Custom textile art, a colorful abstract of neon and pachinko, is woven by EE Exclusives but designed by Sigrid Calon, a dutch designer who also created other textile art another pair of WoW suites.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Styled with grey marble floors and blue-tiled walls reminiscent of the Wet Deck and Swimming Pool, the stainless steel champagne-style bath provides an excellent luxury entertainment experience for guests. A giant glowing warm white globe hangs over this bath, with RGB LED that can change colors to suit any mood.
A relaxing day bed provides an experience with skyline view next to ceiling-height windows which allow natural light to flood in.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
A beautiful oak table, crafted with Japanese woodworking techniques, centers the dining room space. Pendant lamps hang above with varying heights and a Moooi golden chair extends the opulence factor for this space.
Photo Credit: W Osaka by Concrete
A gold-clad cooking island allows guests or a dedicated chef to prepare meals in the dining room’s open kitchen. Cabinetry is golden metal with a backside made of stainless steel.
The Image Gallery
Osaka W is a visual masterpiece that draws on regional, historical references and design cues from the Japanese and European worlds. The selection of color, arrangements, furniture, and accents is made with astonishing detail that the project must have been one titanic effort of coordination and project management. Concrete’s end product is to be congratulated with a standing ovation.
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I am a swashbuckling, mind-reading, techno-czar. Ok, leave out everything except “techno”. That might suggest the music genre but it’s really my technology background. My last studies were in Syracuse, and it was all about advertising. However, my career has been as diverse as the charcuterie board. We’re talking dot-com (actually, dot-bomb, lol), digital advertising before people understood “online”, payments before people understood what a “digital wallet” was, and online/digital games. This expanded to mobile marketing, mobile swiss cheese (edit: scratch that), and more. I ran operations for a digital financial portal, and found ways to sell things before they were mainstream. Today, I am Editor in Chief of one of the interwebs’ fastest growing home and architecture sites. For the big picture, visit our About Us page.
