HOTEL IL PALAZZO | uchida architect design office

Shigeru Uchida (1943-2016), one of Japan’s leading interior designers, began work on the HOTEL IL PALAZZO project in 1986, a time when Japan’s economy was booming, cities were beginning to mature, ways of enjoying life, people’s consciousness were gradually changing. It was also a time when the profession and function of interior designer has been recognized, and the distance between corporate activities and design began to shrink.

The hotel is located across the Naka River from Fukuoka City’s Nakasu district. HOTEL IL PALAZZO was planned at the beginning of the redevelopment of the area, and
Uchida, who was appointed art director of the project, appointed the leading 20th century Italian architect Aldo Rossi for architectural design. The project was developed in collaboration with a number of international and Japanese creators. With the opening, Haruyoshi today has been transformed into a district with many
restaurants, cafes, and hotels along the river.

The four spaces in the separate building are the same size and shape, facing an road created within the site.
Aldo Rossi wanted to create a space that reminds us of vernacular alleys found in old towns around the world — a vernacular space that stirs the heart. The initial plan was to use the space for restaurants, but Shigeru Uchida sought an idea truly unique to the hotel by pushing creative boundaries. His answer was to create “ four bars”, designed by four distinct designers: Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce, Shiro Kuramata, and Aldo Rossi.

20 years after HOTEL IL PALAZZO establishment, the hotel was sold and as a result of several renewals based on management decisions at the time, it had become a facility with a different concept from when it was established . After 34 years, redesign was finally completed in 2023 by Uchida Design Inc., which pursues a wide range of design possibilities from interior design, architecture, furniture, and products in Japan and abroad, inheriting the philosophy of Shigeru Uchida.

The worldview and values that Shigeru Uchida built together with Aldo Rossi are based on a philosophy that is not swayed by trends or hotel-like characteristics. Times have changed, but the architecture remains intact, and the essence of what design should aim for remains the same.
In this Re-Design Project, we aimed to create a long-lasting design that inherits this essence.