Seahawk Hotel

The Seahawk Hotel in the Hawkstown area of Fukuoka was originally owned by JAL, the national airline. As part of the company's bankruptcy restructuring they had to sell off all their hotels, so now it is owned by Hilton.

With more than 1,000 rooms, when opened it was the biggest hotel in Japan,

There are 34 floors above ground, rising to a height of 143 meters.

Amazingly, every single guest room has a sea view.

The hotel opened in 1995. It was designed by Cesar Pelli.

At first glance it looks like a generic tower block, but in plan view it is shaped like a sleek yacht with a pointed bow and a flat stern.

There is a huge atrium attached to the building and that looks much more typical Pelli

I will cover it in the next post.

The previous post in this series on some of the striking modern architecture of Fukuoka was on the nearby New Fukuoka Tower.

Il Palazzo Fukuoka

Fukuoka 福岡

Hotel Il Palazzo in Fukuoka was built in 1989 and designed by Italian architect Aldo Rossi.

Palazzo means "palace" but it also refers to an architectural style of the 19th and 20th centuries based on renaissance palaces

It is built out of brick and the windowless facade is faced in Iranian travertine with exposed steel beams.

The contrast of the green steel and salmon pink stone works well.

The proportions are also quite pleasing.

However, being windowless it does tend to look like a love hotel, of which there are many nearby.

I must admit to not knowing Rossi's work, although he was the first Italian architect to win the Pritzker Prize.

Wild Japan

Atrium at Seahawk Hotel

The atrium of the Seahawk Hotel in Fukuoka is based on the design of a seashell.

It, and the hotel, were designed by Italian architect Cesar Pelli.

It offers great views out to sea and houses several restaurants and shops....