Dream Home : Tea House in Shanghai by Archi-Union Architects

Located in No. 1436 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China, the project Tea House was completed by Archi-Union Architects. It covers an area of approximately 300 square meters and the construction was completed on May of 2011. Its location is actually at the backyard of Archi-Union’s office and the construction was from the recovered parts of what was once a warehouse’s collapsed roof.

The interior design was worked out within constricted walls on three sides and the remaining side opens up to reveal the pool. Further restrictions on the architectural layout were made by a mature tree. This design by Archi-Union Architects is an attempt to demonstrate the balance and harmony of interior design by mixing enclosure and openness all at the same time. In relation to this, the design resulted to a pleasant space without going against the logic of construction even under complicated relations.

The building’s layout is actually just a reaction to its environment. The designers created and implemented floor plans that will result to a logically vague quadrilateral hence getting the most of the tea house space. The architectural design has three divisions namely – a covered public area that is oriented towards the open space revealing the pool, the enclosed tea house on the first level and the library also on the first level provided with a small balcony following a triangular space extending around the mature tree.

Apart from these divisions, there are other spaces that are provided with due privacy such as the service room, lounge and the reading room which have been arranged and oriented towards the back of the building. The tea house demonstrates a wonderful transition of space without breaking the connection between the public and private spaces.

The focal point of design is the twisted and nonlinear hexahedron staircase where smooth transitions were created throughout the space. All functional spaces within the interiors of the tea house were connected together by the stair that deals with vertical transport of customers from the ground level to the upper level. In addition, it also acts as an inner courtyard for the reading room and allows for an expansive view of the mature tree.

The entire space for the tea house has been designed in such a way that people will experience something new within the ordinary establishment. The designers transformed the linear space into an expressive form. This created a twist in the story that the architectural design tells from the ordinary tea house to a tranquil space where one can enjoy and relax while being comfortable altogether.