Biwako Hotel - Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Biwako Hotel
Location
Total Area
Lake Biwa, Japan
527,000 square feet | 49,000 square meters
Date of Completion
Client
1998
Keihan Electric Railway Company Limited
The Biwako Hotel is located on the southern end of Lake Biwa, Japan’s
largest inland lake. Designed to replace the venerable Biwako Hotel,
established in 1934, the complex comprises a 23,000-square-meter
hotel and 26,000 square meters for entertainment.
The compositional feature of the complex is a series of curves set
parallel to the shoreline to maximize views of the lake. The building
is clad in tile to create a rich texture. Its colors, mainly blues and
greens, were inspired by the waves of Lake Biwa and the surrounding
mountains. Silver and yellow accents enhance the form while horizontal
patterns accentuate the curves of the building. With its curving, flowing
forms, the complex is a striking presence when viewed from the lake
and surrounding hills.
The hotel has 170 guest rooms located among 13 floors. Each room
faces the water and has a private balcony. The hotel’s four-​story atrium
is clad in a deep blue-​green tile, with a series of small round windows.
Four floors of entertainment include a bowling alley, movie theaters,
shopping and restaurants. An outdoor roof-​top dining terrace allows
for dramatic views of the lake and mountains. The complex also
includes Western– and Japanese-​style banquet rooms with gardens
and terraces, a restaurant and a chapel with stairs leading from an
elevated garden to a public terrace below.
A passenger terminal for Lake Biwa pleasure cruise ships is adjacent
to a city lakeshore park.
1056 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510 | T: 203.777.2515 | F: 203.787.2856
© Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects 2015
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Biwako Hotel
1056 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510 | T: 203.777.2515 | F: 203.787.2856
© Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects 2015