* Guinness World Records ™ is a registered trademark of Guinness World Records Limited.

December 8, 2020 at the Guinness World Records Official Certificate Awarding Ceremony
(Guinness World Records Official Certified Member, Mai McMillan
Karakami Hotels & Resorts Co., Ltd. President and CEO Masato Karakami
Founder of Kawakyu, Mr. Shigenaga Hori, Mr. Robert Hori
＞Click here for the day of the certification award ceremony

The golden gold leaf ceiling that shines in the Hotel Kawakyu building has pioneered the field of gold leaf by repairing many historic buildings such as Place de la Concorde in Paris, Palace of Versailles, and the goddess of freedom in the United States. A masterpiece of a lifetime by the French human national treasure Fabris Goar, who is called a “master craftsman”.

22.5 gold leaf is laid out to illuminate the lobby most beautifully when exposed to the sun, creating a beautiful arched gold leaf ceiling that has been artistically calculated.

We have received a letter from Fabrice Goar himself for receiving the award for Kawakyu’s gold leaf ceiling.
———
Dear Sir
This Guinness World Records certification is an honor and a great pleasure.

As I write this short message, my heart is full of passion. We thank all the Japanese people for their interest in our work, know-how and technology. Actually, I was working at Invalides in Paris the year before the work at Kawakyu Lobby, so I had no concerns about Kawakyu’s gold leaf ceiling itself. What still comes to my mind is when Madame Hori came to our workshop with her magazine in her hand. At the beginning of the magazine was a photo of Invalides, and Madame Hori’s first question was, “Did you do this job?” That is right. It was our company that put the gold leaf on the dome roof of Invalides.

This is the beginning of the adventure and challenge in Kawakyu. We went to Kawakyu with a team of three and challenged and accomplished the unprecedented task of finishing the ceiling in two months. Masters from all fields gathered at that site from all over the world. We were able to get to know them and exchange knowledge and information with each other while eating around the same table every day. There is absolutely no such precious opportunity outside.

Now, 30 years later, unfortunately some people have already died. This Guinness award also revives the memories I made with those nostalgic friends at that time. We are proud to participate in this project again and thank you very much.

Fabrice Goar

“We did our best to be struck by the goals of this hotel and the passion of the people involved.
For me, this job is the most important thing in my life.
～ Fabric Goal ～

World-class hotels, goddesses of freedom, Palace of Versailles, Place de la Concorde, Invalides … All of these gold-plated works are made by Fabris Goar, a recognized expert in museums and historic buildings. Has been repaired by. Based in Paris, London and New York, the company is a reference in the fields of gold plating, material creation, painting and decorative painting, and is a group of gold leaf craftsmen recognized by the historical authority of luxury decoration.

Gold leaf restoration, a family business founded in 1962, is increasing the value of gold leaf construction by refining further artistry and curiosity without interrupting the technique of gold leaf construction inherited from his father. It was Mr. Fabrice Goar. His open mind and creativity go beyond work, intriguing many designers, decorators and interior designers, and collaborating with a number of prominent artists. The only artwork of Atelier Goar in Japan is Hotel Kawakyu this time.

Awards:
Master of art 2010
Medal of artisanal recognition 2008
Master craftsman 2006
Living heritage company 2006
Grand prix of creation, confirmed
art trade category, of Paris 2004
Museums empowerment of France 2003
Qualibat certification
＞Atelier Goar

In 1989, the project “Hotel Kawakyu” was started in Japan at the height of the bubble to create “Sukiya in the world”. Supervised by architect Yuzo Nagata, the hotel combines the techniques of craftsmen from all over the world with China, Europe, Islam, and Japan. The total construction cost is 40 billion square meters, the total floor area is 26,000 square meters, and the construction period is I spent two years.

The exterior wall is decorated with bright “Rōjū Huang” lapis lazuli tiles that are only allowed to be used in the Forbidden City in China. In addition to the detailed Roman mosaic tile floors laid out by Italian craftsmen and the magnificent 22.5 gold leaf dome ceiling by Mr. Goar, a French human national treasure, the lobby wall is appraised by the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2 Byzantine mosaics of Syrian deer and leopards from around the century are embedded, and in the open air, artists of high artistic value such as the bronze statue of a rabbit 6 meters wide by British sculptor Barry Flanagan are exhibited from all over the world. It is a dream architecture that was convened and built.

26 pillars of 100 million yen each made of pseudo-marble by the plasterer Akira Kusumi’s “Hanasakidan”, the large eaves of the hotel entrance finished with Tosa plaster, and the Nobunaga fence by the ceramic artist Motoo Kato Many Japanese craftsmen also participate, such as tile walls made of ceramic plates and brick patterns by brick craftsman Hikohachiro Takayama. Architecture that combines technologies and cultures from all over the world is a mysterious space where all the works are in harmony.

In addition, as an owner’s collection that the owner bought from all over the world at the time of its founding, works such as cloisonne ware, pottery, Dali, Chagall, and Yokoyama Taikan from the early Qing dynasty of China are also exhibited.

In 1993, he received the “Togo Murano Award”, which is given to outstanding architectural works and designers. In 2020, it was certified as Guinness World Records ™ for its gold leaf surface area. The Kawakyu Hotel, which is a fusion of architecture and art, opened as the Kawakyu Museum in 2020 with the aim of preserving and handing down its historical value.

Kawakyu Museum (Hotel Kawakyu)