Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park offers rare green Tokyo views for ‘urban recharge’

'We created Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park around this view,' says Japanese designer Keiji Ashizawa – and it’s easy to see why. Beneath blue skies, the sun-glinting waters of a contemporary infinity pool, lined with taupe sun loungers, give way to a vivid stretch of forested parkland, a scattering of skyscrapers in the distance.

This is not a typical scene for Shibuya, a Tokyo district better known for its nocturnal neon lights and packed crossings than its hovering pools, serene vistas and minimalist architecture designs. Yet this is the view that guests can now soak up from the sixth floor rooftop pool club at its newest hospitality offering.

Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park: a haven of serenity in central Tokyo

The hotel – the third in a hat-trick of Trunk spaces in Tokyo – opens this week in a seven-storey new-build in Shibuya’s Tomigaya neighbourhood, with interiors and architecture led by Tokyo-based Keiji Ashizawa Design, alongside Copenhagen’s Norm Architects.

Inspired by the concept of 'urban recharge', the hotel’s creative DNA taps deeply into its location, overlooking the treetop canopies of Yoyogi Park. Inside, soft modern minimalism connects the spaces – curved architectural lines, abstract artwork, raw concrete, copper accents, crafted furniture, a nature-inspired palette, washi lighting and woven textiles.

'This hotel has its own unique identity,' says Ashizawa. 'We wanted to create a space that has lots of soft edges and handcrafted textures. There is nothing sharp, but it still feels clean. While the building structure determines the space’s architectural expression, the hospitable quality is achieved through the tone of the surfaces.'

This starts with the textured façade – roughly hewn aggregate concrete and balconies tempered by an abundance of wild foliage – a natural modern mirroring of the Yoyogi Park’s treetops just opposite.

Ashizawa’s attention to detail is embodied in the steel balcony railings that line the façade, which consist of simple black vertical strokes, without any horizontal ornaments – creating a soft but clean boundary between inside and out.

A discreet copper-lined entrance leads to a smoothly intimate reception, with a curved wooden front desk, clean-lined chairs (from Carl Hansen & Søn pieces to the Norm Architects-designed ‘Ariake’ collection), chic cream-clad staff in Tomorrowland uniforms and a curation of sculptural objects and books.

A similarly light, soft atmosphere infuses the 20 guest rooms and five suites, facing either the park or local rooftops – with Norm Architects’ ‘Ariake’ paper-cord chairs and conical washi lights for Karimoku by Kyoto’s Kojima Shoten; abstract artworks, many by Shiga-based Atelier Yamanami; rattan space dividers with curved copper-wrapped edges; minimalist 2016 / Arita ceramics made with Netherlands-based Kirstie van Noort; and crafted textiles by Osaka's Hotta Carpet.

At the apex is the spacious Owner’s Suite, with the softly curved lines of the ‘Eave’ modular sofa in a peachy woven Kvadrat textile, Yuri Suzuki’s ‘Ambient Machine’ for E&Y providing an abstract soundtrack; and a white standalone bathtub overlooking a private terrace.

The ground floor Pizzeria e Trattoria L’Ombelico taps into the hotel’s community philosophy – a welcoming space with hand-hammered copper lighting by artist Eiko Miki, Norm Architects-designed oak chairs for Karimoku, Audo bar counter chairs and custom-made wooden table tops, plus a clay pizza oven wrapped in copper.

But the scene-stealer is the sixth-floor rooftop pool club and lounge. The intimate space, open only to guests, has green-blue design accents reflecting the infinity pool waters and the forested treetops just beyond – with added textures provided by sand-blasted concrete panels, green plants, ocean-like tiles and a curved copper display for iced oysters and seafood. 

The sunlit space flows smoothly onto the main protagonist: the infinity pool, with its taupe sun loungers and forest green-striped beach towels, plus just next to it, a bubbling open-air Jacuzzi and a sunken fire-pit. Karimoku sofas are also upholstered in a durable waterproof green-blue textile, alongside geometric oak tables.

Not to forget the playful Trunk touches scattered among the soft minimalism, tapping into the brand’s Tokyo hipster heritage – including the perfectly timed blast of musician Nerd’s 'All-the-girls-standing-in-the-line-for-the-bathroom' the moment the ladies’ toilet door closes.

'This hotel is well suited to the wonderful neighbourhood of Tomigaya and was designed thoughtfully to match the hospitality, uniqueness and surrounding environment that is distinctively Trunk,' says Ashizawa. 'I believe it will create an opportunity for more cultures to mix together in a good sense.'

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