This spectacular building, located in the backyard of the Archi-Union Architects office in Shanghai, is meant to be a tea house. Apparently, the view out of the windows appeared too dull to the architects and designers who work here, so they decided to refresh it with their own creative project. Let’s have a look at the result!
The first thing that catches the eye is the material, chosen for the whole building’s structure: it is uncovered, tough concrete. The tea house is 2-storied and reveals itself towards the yard with big glass surfaces of the main elevation.
The balcony on the first floor has a hole for a tree to connect the building and the outer space architecturally. The exterior appearance of the house is spectacular, yet the most exciting elements await inside, which contains a reading room and a lounge area.
Unfinished concrete surfaces can also be seen inside. The interior is full of harsh asymmetry and wild, almost deconstructed form combinations. The glass facades and quite a number of exposed books on the shelves look contrastingly fragile, accompanied by such roughness of materials and forms.
However, owing to the spacious rooms and big amount of day light, this contrast is very elegant and stylish. Some wooden pieces of furniture, like chairs and tables, also add up to this interior design’s special, strict yet united concept.
The chilliness of the design doesn’t let you relax totally, doesn’t let you feel too cozy: it keeps your mind tuned to solving challenges at work, while the bold fantasy shapes incline you towards creativity. The perfect tea house for architects!
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