American hotel chain Ace Hotel is expanding into Asia through a partnership with NTT Urban Development Corporation (NTT Urban Development). The company will open its first hotel in Japan, Ace Hotel Kyoto, at the end of 2019 on the former site of the ShinPuhkan in central Kyoto. ShinPuhkan, a commercial facility built in the 1920s and formerly the Kyoto Central Telephone Exchange, closed in March 2016 for redevelopment. Ace Hotel Kyoto will open within a complex on the former ShinPuhkan site, housing not only the hotel but also restaurants, retailers, and other commercial tenants. Architect Kengo Kuma will oversee the exterior design. Ace Hotel has dreamed of opening a hotel in Japan since its founding. It has previously collaborated with Japanese artists and brands, including Beams, Porter, Minami Kenzo, Hender Scheme, and Traveler's Company. Brad Wilson, President and CEO of Ace Hotel, said, "Expanding our business into Japan has been a long-held dream of ours. We are honored and humbled to partner with such an outstanding team, including NTT Urban Development and Kengo Kuma, to realize our shared dream of creating a space that fosters global connections and new cultures while paying homage to the beauty and history of Kyoto." Kengo Kuma, who is also supervising the design, said, "I wanted to create a hotel that is connected to the Kyoto region and open to the local community. First, I sought to create a rich garden that connects the local area with the hotel, and the present with the past, on a historic site where various gardens have been created since the Heian period. The timber framework, which carries on Kyoto's traditional Japanese style, and the red bricks of the Kyoto Central Telephone Office, designed by Tetsuro Yoshida, a giant of modern Japanese architecture, will meet in the courtyard, where wood and brick will begin a new conversation. Intricate louvers and mesh will complement the Kyoto-style Aneyakoji and Higashinotoin streets, recreating the delicate feel of the streets. The louvers and mesh also act as environmental devices that gently filter light and wind. Furthermore, iron oxide was mixed into the concrete to create a warm color without relying on paint. By paying particular attention to every detail and material in this town, we have linked the building, land, and history together. Ace Hotel is also attempting to redefine what a hotel is by connecting the region and hotel, the community and guests, and is softening the atmosphere of cities around the world. We hope that this philosophy will resonate with the architecture."