Many of Kengo Kuma’s projects are characterized by experiments with materials and their presentation in a striking or a dominant form. In the extensive refurbishment this hotel underwent, the architect used various traditional hand-crafted materials with minimized details. Obanazawa, in the snowy north of Honshu, the main island of Japan, is a resort popular for its hot springs. Here, time-honoured lodgings are clustered along the Ginzan River. Even if many of the hotels have clearly been modernized, there was no question in the present case of making major changes to the scale or volume of the 100-year-old Ginzan Onsen Fujiya structure that would disrupt the ensemble as a whole. On the other hand, a new spirit and modern comforts were required. The existing building was largely demolished and then reconstructed, using the old as well as new materials.