THE ART OF ESPACIO
Where Culture and Beauty Enrich Every Stay
Our vision is to create spaces where architecture, art, and craftsmanship are woven into a singular experience—
spaces that offer a window into the culture and aesthetic traditions unique to each place.
The works that grace the spaces at ESPACIO are not simply decorative objects.
They convey Japan’s profound appreciation of nature, its tradition of auspicious symbolism,
and the techniques and craftsmanship honed through generations.
The artists’ visions, the stories behind the materials,
and the passage of time etched into every piece
come together to form rich layers of meaning, lending each space its distinctive depth and character.
ESPACIO transforms a stay into a cultural experience—a place where Japanese art and craftsmanship
are not only celebrated, but their enduring value is passed on.
spaces that offer a window into the culture and aesthetic traditions unique to each place.
The works that grace the spaces at ESPACIO are not simply decorative objects.
They convey Japan’s profound appreciation of nature, its tradition of auspicious symbolism,
and the techniques and craftsmanship honed through generations.
The artists’ visions, the stories behind the materials,
and the passage of time etched into every piece
come together to form rich layers of meaning, lending each space its distinctive depth and character.
ESPACIO transforms a stay into a cultural experience—a place where Japanese art and craftsmanship
are not only celebrated, but their enduring value is passed on.
GOLD LEAF constantly reveals different facets of itself with the shifting light and the passage of time. Throughout ESPACIO, countless works featuring auspicious motifs such as the Kirin, Phoenix, Tortoise, and Dragon deities, as well as the beauty of Japan’s changing seasons, blend seamlessly into each space, their delicate radiance creating a unique ambience. Yet the beauty of GOLD LEAF lies in more than its brilliance alone. It reflects Japan's enduring reverence for nature and the philosophies that have shaped its culture for centuries. This is the aesthetic sensibility that generations of Japanese people have entrusted to the art of GOLD LEAF, giving rise to ESPACIO's distinctive sense of place.
METAL
Under the artisan’s hand—through hammering, bending, and casting—metal takes on a supple and expressive character. Across ESPACIO, metalworks depicting the Phoenix, Kirin, pine trees, and other plants are carefully integrated into each space, where the artists' craftsmanship elevates them into vibrant sculptural forms. The marks of the maker, the intricate layering, and the gleaming surfaces lend each piece a singular organic quality that cannot be replicated, together imbuing their surroundings with a quiet yet unmistakable presence.
WOOD
Wood is a material that embodies the passage of time—both the years nurtured by nature and those shaped by the human hand. Throughout ESPACIO, traditional woodcraft takes full advantage of its natural character, giving delicate form to carvings and kumiko latticework inspired by Japan's natural beauty and auspicious symbols. The unique grain of each piece of wood, the marks left by the carver's hand, and the intricate layers of interlocking wood bear witness to techniques passed down through generations. Together, they lend the spaces of ESPACIO a quiet warmth and enduring sense of refinement.
WASHI
As ink and pigments are absorbed into its fibers, washi (Japanese paper) preserves their subtle bleeds and dry-brush textures. The washi works that adorn ESPACIO depict auspicious motifs—including the Dragon, the Phoenix, the sacred tortoise, and clouds symbolizing good fortune—through the traditional techniques of karakami and nihonga (Japanese painting). The varied colors and lines, together with the generous use of negative space, evoke the movement of the divine beasts and the flow of water as timeless expressions of reverence and prayer.
Applied layer by layer, lacquer develops remarkable depth and a lustrous sheen. The lacquer works displayed throughout ESPACIO depict sacred beasts such as the Dragon, the Phoenix, and the Kirin, their smooth surfaces and delicate luster conveying not only their vitality, but even the subtle movement of wind through the air. Their appearance changing constantly depending on the angle from which they are viewed and the play of light, these lacquer works bring a quiet tension and visual richness to the spaces they inhabit.
GLASS
By transmitting, reflecting, and refracting light, glass takes on ever-changing expressions. Throughout ESPACIO, glass artworks are thoughtfully displayed in lounges and restaurants bathed in natural light, guest rooms, and even subterranean spaces beyond the reach of daylight, each in dialogue with its surroundings. Their appearance changes with the quality of light, bringing a sense of clarity and quiet radiance to the spaces they inhabit.
Clay is a material that carries within it the accumulated passage of time and the memory of the land itself. At ESPACIO, clay works shaped through traditional plastering and ceramic techniques acquire new layers and subtle distortions, creating a harmonious dialogue with the surrounding architecture and bringing each space a sense of quiet strength—or profound stillness. In every work born from this elemental material, one can sense a presence imbued with the dignity and timelessness that only clay possesses.
DYE
As color gradually permeates the fabric, dyeing gives rise to a distinctive visual richness and depth. The dyed works displayed throughout ESPACIO use layered hues to abstractly evoke the quiet presence of nature through motifs such as wind and clouds, alongside sacred beasts, including the Black Tortoise and Azure Dragon. Rather than defining their subjects with clear outlines, these works rely on the soft ambiguities unique to the art of dyeing, allowing each viewer's imagination to wander freely.
