Onomichi U2
Perfectly positioned on the Onomichi Channel waterfront, Onomichi U2 is a mixed-use venue geared towards visitors of all kinds, but especially cyclists. A former marine transport warehouse built in 1943, Onomichi U2 now houses a restaurant, bar, café, bakery, souvenir shop, and cycling store, but the building is best known for its unique hotel.
Onomichi U2 is divided into thirds, with roughly one third occupied by Hotel Cycle. As the name suggests, the hotel is designed with cyclists in mind, and bike racks are available in all 28 rooms. Guests without a bicycle can rent one from Hotel Cycle or the Giant cycling shop inside Onomichi U2. Hotel Cycle is visually separated from the rest of Onomichi U2 by the soft light and dark décor of its public spaces, and the same cozy atmosphere extends into the hotel rooms, with dark wooden desks and heavy stone benchtops. The hotel’s cushions and pajamas are made using Bingo-gasuri, a local woven cotton fabric like denim which is made in nearby Fukuyama.
The conversion of Onomichi U2 from warehouse to hospitality hotspot was completed in 2014 by Suppose Design Office, who managed to preserve the original historical building. Without modifying the existing structure, Suppose reinforced the building for earthquake resistance, and used lightweight steel frames to create buildings inside the warehouse. This gives Onomichi U2 a nested design, with smaller buildings inside the main space, none of which quite touch the original walls or ceiling. This architecture within architecture is most visible in Hotel Cycle, where visitors can see it from the hotel lobby.
The layout of Onomichi U2 takes inspiration from Onomichi’s local shopping arcade, with a long central walkway flanked by shops and cafés on either side, which continues through to Hotel Cycle. Designed to feel like a town within a town, the building’s open plan encourages natural interaction between visitors and staff, and the main materials—wood, stone, and steel—serve as reminders of Onomichi’s traditional wooden houses and its active shipbuilding industry.