When building a new hotel, designers would normally consider the artwork displayed on the walls as a finishing touch. But for BnA Hotel Koenji, which just opened in Tokyo's Koenji neighborhood, the artwork definitely comes first.
BnA Hotel Koenji, produced by the Bed & Art Project, is the third live-in-art-experience designed by a group of young Tokyo-based entrepreneurs who were looking for ways to shine a spotlight on the vast pool of artistic talent in Japan. It was a discussion about the rapidly growing Airbnb movement that sparked an idea to do something a little more grass roots and connected to the community.
"In 2013, Taz (Yu Tazawa) and I were discussing the social-political issues surrounding gentrification and rising rent prices in Silicon Valley caused by the tech bubble," explains interior designer and BnA team member Keigo Fukugaki. "Our conversation got heated when we started talking about Airbnb and how it was becoming another vehicle of gentrification and exploitation. Through that conversation, we got the idea of leveraging the hospitality industry to do social good by supporting artists while offering a truly inspiring experience."