One of the most unforgettable aspects of Radium Kagaya International Hotel is, of all places, being inside the elevator. As the glass container traverses up and down, passengers are treated to a vertical panorama of Shoji screened-walls and pinewood-framed corridors interlocking with pitched-roof volumes that give the illusion of little Japanese houses floating in the 14-storey atrium. The typically utilitarian act of taking the elevator is transformed into a mini event that excites even adults.
This is not something many hotels can boast of, but it is part of the allure of the hotel in Beitou – a hot spring destination just half an hour drive from central Taipei. Radium Kagaya sits opposite Beitou Park , which contains the sustainable Beitou branch of the Public Library and the Hot Spring Museum. The latter is a conserved public bathhouse from the Japanese colonial era that, at the time of completion in 1913, was the largest bathhouse in East Asia.
The hotel building is decidedly modern, capped with peaked roofs. But inside, the interior architecture inspired by the sukiya style developed during the Azuchi-Momoyama (1574-1600) and Tokugawa (1603-1867) periods has all the Zen feels of a traditional ryokan. ‘Suki’ refers to the refined and well-cultivated taste of elegant pursuits and is usually associated with the enjoyment of the elaborate Japanese tea ceremony.
Originally applied to teahouse design, sukiya was later incorporated into private homes and restaurants. Rad.