Bronze Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2026
Uketamo Hotel
- A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Chris YJ Chen
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 6,520
- Verification code 3CACC76BFC · Verify this award
About Uketamo Hotel
Uketamo is a hotel interior located in the Daan District of Taipei, Taiwan. The design turns the idea of acceptance into a spatial journey. A central staircase links the lobbies of three floors, which represent the past, the present and the future. The staircase has a steel frame clad in Italian tile, and the walls carry a hand applied mineral coating with an earthy texture. A seven meter long hand tufted tapestry shifts from deep indigo to pale blue. Surfaces become lighter as guests ascend, leading from urban density toward stillness.
Uketamo Hotel by Paradox Studio engages the phenomenological tradition of architecture as experiential journey, transforming the utilitarian necessity of vertical circulation into a carefully choreographed descent through layered spatial thresholds. The work demonstrates sophisticated compositional mastery in its orchestration of positive and negative volumes, where the central void functions as the compositional anchor around which dark timber-clad landings cantilever in rhythmic progression, each horizontal plane carefully dimensioned to create visual momentum while maintaining structural legibility. The chromatic restraint—a refined palette of carbonized blacks, creamy neutrals, and warm natural wood tones—exemplifies the discipline characteristic of contemporary minimalist spatial design while avoiding sterile coldness through the strategic deployment of warm-temperature concealed lighting that transforms architectural edges into glowing linear elements. This illumination strategy, embedding light sources within the architecture itself rather than applying fixtures as appliqué, creates an ethereal quality where light appears to emanate from the very structure of the space, a technique resonant with James Turrell's investigations of light as perceptual phenomenon and Luis Barragán's poetic manipulation of colored planes and shadow. The timber cladding displays exceptional material refinement, with visible grain patterns suggesting either thermal modification or natural aging that has deepened the wood to near-black while preserving textural richness, demonstrating the Japanese aesthetic principle of shibui—understated elegance achieved through subtle complexity rather than obvious ornamentation. The ceiling plane's parallel linear grain pattern establishes a directional rhythm that contrasts with the perpendicular geometry of the stair landings, creating a dynamic tension between horizontal flow and vertical descent that guides the eye through the composition while offering moments of visual rest. The single circular element glowing with amber warmth at the lower register functions as both gravitational terminus and symbolic focal point, its perfect geometry and concentrated luminosity suggesting a meditation on the circle as archetypal form—wholeness, completion, the eye, the portal—within the otherwise rectilinear vocabulary of the architecture. The vertiginous perspective, captured from directly above the central void, positions the viewer in a godlike omniscient position while simultaneously inducing a mild sense of vertigo that makes the spatial experience visceral rather than purely visual, engaging the body's kinesthetic awareness and vestibular response. How does this deliberate cultivation of spatial disorientation serve the hospitality experience, and what might this descent through progressively darker, more intimate zones suggest about the journey from public to private realms within the hotel's spatial narrative?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- By reinterpreting this ancient pilgrimage within a contemporary urban void, the designer crafted a 'Staircase of Time'. This ritualistic path invites travelers to embark on a meditative ascent that strips away the city's noise, allowing the soul to progress through a profound spiritual realignment. As guests traverse the levels, they move beyond the physical structure to experience a state of rebirth, ultimately restoring the spirit to its primal 'Zero' state.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The central wall features a monumental 7 meter long tapestry by Yamagata Dantsu, a workshop founded in 1935. This bespoke textile was meticulously crafted over six months, integrating traditional thread cultivation, custom dyeing, and expert hand-tufting by skilled artisans. This ensures a seamless gradient transition from deep indigo to the ethereal pale blue-white of dawn light.
- Tags
- Hotel,Uketamo,Hotel Uketamo,Taiwan,Paradox Studio,Yamagata
- Production Technology
- The staircase is constructed with a structural steel frame clad in Italian tile. The surrounding walls are finished with ONE DUST Colorwash Extra, a premium mineral-based coating. This mineral paint is applied using a hand-layered technique to achieve a monolithic, earthy texture that evokes a mountain path.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was translating the metaphysical 'Uketamo' philosophy into a tangible architectural experience within a constrained urban footprint. It required balancing physical materiality with a spiritual narrative through three key strategies:
1. Cultivating Acceptance through Movement:
One of the greatest challenges was designing the vertical circulation to facilitate a state of total acceptance (Uketamo). The goal was to create a space that could instinctively quiet the mind; by manipulating spatial volume and rhythm, the design transformed the act of climbing into a meditative process, allowing guests to unconditionally embrace the transition from urban chaos to inner stillness.
2. Metaphorical Translation: Synthesizing the "Three Mountains of Dewa" required precise control over material density. The designer overcame this by engineering a vertical sensory shift: moving from heavy, grounded textures on the lower floors to ethereal, light-driven surfaces at the peak, ensuring the spiritual timeline was perceptible through touch and sight.
3. Interactive Sightlines: We conducted a rigorous sightline analysis to align the staircase's open-riser structure with the monumental 'Yamago Agu' (looking up to the sacred mountain) tapestry. This ensured that the transition from a "look-up" (awe) to an "overlook" (clarity) perspective remained perfectly synchronized with the guest's physical ascent, successfully turning a functional transit void into a ritualistic, cinematic journey. - Project Duration
- Completed in August 2025. Taipei, Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- The center staircase is a vertical 'Cosmic Axis' bridging the celestial and the terrestrial, guided by the principle of 'As above, so below.' The Zenith, symbolizing the Origin of the Universe, acts as a spiritual 'Sun' cascading light like shimmering dewdrops. This light is captured at the base by a reflective 'Mirror Moon,' forming a Complete Circle that embodies the spiritual cycle of the Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa. This infinite resonance between the Past, Present, and Future suggests that the vastness of the universe and the reincarnation of life are both held within the stillness of the self. Within this axis, the staircase serves as a cinematic platform for the monumental tapestry, 'Yama o Aogu' specially commissioned from the renowned Yamagata Dantsu team. As guests traverse the levels, their vision evolves through a shifting perspective: from a humble look-up (awe) at the mountain's roots to a clear overlook (clarity) at its peak. This movement, echoing the transition from dawn to dusk, reflects an internal evolution, positing that the 'angle of the heart' ultimately determines how one perceives the mountain of life.
- Research
- The Trilogy of Life: The Arboreal Journey
The central staircase acts as the architectural sapwood, vertically interconnecting the 4th, 5th, and 6th-floor lobbies into a living allegory of a tree’s growth and spiritual evolution. The design maps the "Roots-Branches-Leaves" sequence onto a temporal timeline, creating a cohesive narrative arc where movement through space mirrors the journey of life.
4F: Solid Roots (The Past). Representing the foundation of being, the design language is grounded and tactile. Heavier textures and structural honesty evoke the stability of ancient roots deep within the mountain soil.
5F: Layered Branches (The Present). The main arrival point mimics the complexity of interlocking branches. Here, social interaction and functional layers intersect, capturing the vibrant, active energy of the canopy.
6F: Ethereal Leaves & Water Shadows (The Future). As the staircase reaches its peak, lightness defines the atmosphere. Sunlight filters through high windows, creating an effect of "leaves falling onto water shadows," symbolizing spiritual transcendence and rebirth.
Through this Vertical Connectivity, the architecture physically "lightens" as guests ascend. By transitioning from the density of the roots to the transparency of the sky, the design facilitates a profound Sensory Transformation, guiding the observer toward the ultimate state of Uketamo (Unconditionally Acceptance). - Inspiration
- In the heart of Taipei Daan District, HOTEL UKETAMO explores the urban sanctuary through the lens of Japanese philosophy: Uketamo, a state of acceptance.
The project reimagined the traditional lobby and circulation into a 'Vertical Pilgrimage' rooted in the spiritual heritage of the Yamabushi monks from the Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa. Each level of this architectural intervention mirrors the sacred peaks' symbolism of existence: the Past, the Present, and the Future. - Image Credits
- Photographer: Andrew Kan