NOT A CITY Transforms Imperial Hotel Tokyo's Tower into 'NOT A MUSEUM' for Four-Year Cultural Residency

NOT A CITY, the urban development arm of NOTA, the parent company of NOT A HOTEL, is embarking on an ambitious project to launch NOT A MUSEUM, a temporary cultural complex situated within the iconic Imperial Hotel Tokyo's Tower building. This initiative is set to transform the first four floors of the Tower building, a substantial area spanning approximately 2,000 tsubo (roughly 6,600 square meters), into a vibrant, multidisciplinary hub. The complex will showcase a curated blend of art, books, music, fashion, and cinema, operating under the evocative tagline "CULTURE, IN THE MAKING." The project is scheduled to open its doors in Summer 2027 and is planned to run for a duration of approximately four years. This timeframe is strategically chosen to coincide with the period before the Tower building is slated for demolition as part of a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the historic Imperial Hotel Tokyo. The space that will house NOT A MUSEUM was formerly the Imperial Hotel Plaza Tokyo, a retail and event space that has since been shuttered. While a select number of existing ground-floor retail establishments will remain unaffected and outside the project's operational boundaries, the vast majority of the former plaza space is being repurposed to accommodate NOT A MUSEUM's diverse programming. The intricate spatial design and planning for this unique venue are being meticulously handled by two key entities. DAIKEI MILLS, a distinguished design office based in Tokyo, is collaborating closely with NOT A HOTEL's in-house architectural team, known as NOT A HOTEL ARCHITECTS, to conceptualize and execute the overall spatial plan. Adding another layer of expertise and operational synergy, SKWAT, a collective that emerged from DAIKEI MILLS in 2019 under the leadership of its founder Keisuke Nakamura, is co-leading the crucial aspects of planning, production, and day-to-day operations of NOT A MUSEUM, working in tandem with NOT A CITY. SKWAT's established operational model is centered on the innovative concept of temporarily occupying underutilized or overlooked urban spaces and revitalizing them by opening them to the public through a dynamic array of cultural activities. These activities typically encompass exhibitions, publishing ventures, curated retail offerings, and engaging public talks. This distinctive approach directly informs the intended functionality and ethos of the NOT A MUSEUM space. Rather than adopting the conventional format of a gallery with fixed, static displays, the venue is envisioned as a fluid, multidisciplinary platform. Here, various art forms, literature, music, fashion, and film will not only coexist but also evolve organically over time, fostering a sense of continuous creation and discovery. This temporary cultural intervention aims to provide a final, energetic, and memorable chapter for the Imperial Hotel Plaza Tokyo before its eventual demolition, offering a unique and immersive cultural experience within a location steeped in history and architectural significance. The project represents a forward-thinking approach to urban development and cultural programming, breathing new life into a transitional space.