SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE, an architectural design firm led by Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida, has earned a reputation for providing their signature minimalism to a variety of commercial and private projects. “We want to be a team that constantly creates new values through design,” explains Yoshida.

This ethos was introduced to Matsumoto Honbako in the Matsumoto Jujo Hotel, which is located on the grounds of a 335-year-old ryokan, a type of traditional Japanese inn that features communal baths. After designating a reinforced concrete building on-site as the hotel, the interior was stripped down to the skeletal structure in order to create a design that paid homage to the character of the historic ryokan. “Rather than simply remodeling it into a modern hotel, we wanted to create a place where the old and the new could coexist,” says Yoshida of the refurbishment, which includes a restaurant and bookstore on the first floor.

When it came to the guest rooms, interiors were deliberately kept simple. A neutral palette, paired with quintessentially Japanese materials like shoji and tatami, created a restful environment. In the Matsumoto Honbako suite, Hans J. Wegner’s CH23 Dining Chair was placed in front of a desk to accommodate those who require a work station. Despite the room’s Japanese-inspired interior, the iconic

Scandinavian piece blended seamlessly into its surroundings. “Denmark and Japan share a common mentality and aesthetic sense,” says Yoshida. “When Danish furniture is placed in a space that we have created, something resonates beautifully beyond our differences.”