Live in both the past and the present with these remarkable design hotels, each of which breathes new life into historic edifices.
Breathing fresh life into old buildings. Reviving the souls of slumbering places. Paving new paths from storied pasts. Located around the world, from Tokyo to Istanbul, from Berlin to LA, these six hotels stand out for their conscious restorations of existing structures, and for thoughtfully integrating historic pasts into bright futures.
K5, Toyko
Next to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, a grand stone structure has stood the test of time: the former bank, constructed in the 1920s, survived bombings during World War II and brought its patrons into the new millennium. Then, three years ago, it underwent a considered restoration and reopened as K5, a hotel with 20 generously sized rooms.
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“The concrete structure survived fire-bombing raids; its raw interior spaces have a noticeable character and inform the atmosphere,” says Claesson Koivisto Rune, who oversaw the hotel’s architectural renovation and interior design. The concrete “has been left exposed in many of the completed spaces, creating a tough, almost brutal, element with which the rest of the interior architecture strongly contrasts.”
Softening the rough concrete elements are an abundance of plants, cedar wood panelling and built-ins, and colourful Scandinavian design pieces.
The Bank Hotel, Istanbul
Also housed within a former financial centre is The Bank Hotel Istanbul, located in the city’s hip Karaköy district. Here, old-world grandeur continues to reign, with original marble columns and fireplaces, ceramic tiles, and an elegantly age-worn staircase—all of which was preserved and restored by architect Han Tümertekin.
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In guestrooms, soaring ceilings, crown moulding, and Carrara marble bathrooms are augmented by designer Sinan Kafadar’s flair for the eclectic. A rich colour palette of oranges and greens—recalling the building’s moneyed past—offset the majesty and strike a contemporary balance with crisp white linens and abstract art. Additionally, the German-built bank vault, just off the lobby, now hosts a wine cellar where guests can indulge in tastings.
Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel
In southern California, the Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel reinvigorates a storied Renaissance Revival-style building, turning what was once a private club and then YWCA into a new hub for the city’s creative scene.
The brick landmark façade, dating back to the 1920s, opens to a bold, decidedly contemporary haven that simultaneously references its past. In the entrance, original wood panelling gives way to a vibrant mural by local artist Abel Macias, whose colourful flora and fauna cover the upper walls and breathe new life into the original vaulted ceilings.
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Two suites also stand out for their odes to the building’s history: the Pool Suite features a 35-by-12-foot pool from the 1960s—now backdropped by a floor-to-ceiling ceramic mural by L.A-based artist Ben Medansky—and the Basketball Suite transforms the site’s vintage court into a luxurious, open-plan living space.
Wilmina, Berlin
Carefully respecting its building’s heritage while also reimagining its future is Wilmina, located in the heart of West Berlin. Over the course of 11 years, Armand Grüntuch and Almut Grüntuch-Ernst, alongside their team at Grüntuch Ernst Architekten, transformed a former courthouse and women’s prison, constructed in 1896, into a space of community and warmth.
“We see Wilmina as one milestone in the transformation of the city around us in a way that honours its history while also bringing in new life,” says Armand. “It’s about inverting the building’s configuration and spatial concepts, from an antisocial space to a very social space.”
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Existing structures, like cells and barred windows, were expanded, connected, and reprogrammed to create inviting atmospheres in airy guestrooms, a cosy library, and the restaurant Lovis. Soft textures and warming elements like fireplaces and lighting installations by Bocci redefine preserved structural elements, including the historic staircase, thick metal doors, and aged bannisters.
Hôtel de Tourrel, Provence
In the heart of Provence, Originals Ralph Hüsgen and Margot Stängle transformed a 17th-century palais into Hôtel de Tourrel, an intimate getaway with nine spacious guestrooms and suites, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant.
When researching historical techniques to restore the manor to its original splendour, the pair discovered stucco under peeling paint, and hired a professional team of conservators who took 13 weeks to uncover it fully. The stucco can now be seen alongside original sandstone floor tiles in the foyer, large arched windows, a grand staircase, and exposed stone walls.
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One room, situated within what was once the mansion’s salon, even boasts an original marble fireplace. Such features are charmingly mixed with modern furnishings, including colourful chairs by Eileen Gray and tables by Konstantin Grcic.
Istoria, Santorini
Offering guests an experience at an authentic Greek estate is Istoria on Santorini’s southeast coast. Here, the studio Interior Design Laboratorium transformed an old private residence, including its five horse stables, into an elegant Cycladic hotel with 12 suites located across from the black-sand Perivolos Beach.
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Despite an overarching feeling of sophisticated simplicity, achieved through crisp lines and modern artworks, the hotel’s traditional, white-washed walls also give way to preserved historic features. Original wooden beams and ceilings, stone columns, mosaic flooring, and thick masonry have been meticulously restored, and even a leather stirrup from the stables now hangs decoratively on a wall.
