BY DEMIE KIM
The famous architect Tadao
Ando once described Japanese teahouses as containing “an infinitely expanding
universe in an enclosed, very small space.”
Dating back to the 16th
century, the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), also known as the Way of Tea, is
an intricately codified ritual in which a host prepares and serves matcha, or
powdered green tea, for a number of seated guests. The ceremony typically takes
place in a small and intimate tea room, where every detail—from the layout of
the interior to the shape of the ceramic bowls—is designed to instill an
appreciation for aesthetics and beauty.
Historically, these rooms
were located in grass-thatched huts surrounded by peaceful gardens, offering a
place to withdraw from the material distractions of the world and discover
enlightenment in the everyday. Guests and hosts would enter the tea room
through separate entrances. Inside, minimal furnishings—tatami floor mats, a
sunken stove for heating the tea, spare flower arrangements, and a painted
hanging scroll—helped to establish a contemplative mood.
Since the 1990s,
contemporary architects have approached the challenge of modern teahouse design
with an eye toward tradition, adhering to the ideals of simplicity and working
on a small scale. But they have also approached them with a spirit of
experimentation, evidenced in the following examples, which show a range of
fantastical settings and the use of modern materials like glass and plastic.
Renowned Japanese designer
Kuma created this tea pavilion for the 19th floor of a corporate and
residential tower in Vancouver in 2017, on the occasion of a retrospective of
his work in the city. Overlooking the bay and the Downtown district, the
meditative structure is constructed on a raised wooden platform, which creates
the illusion that it is serenely floating above the surrounding stones. Modern,
functional additions to the traditional form include sliding glass walls, as
well as an interior table on hydraulic supports that can be raised and lowered
as needed.
Architect Terunobu Fujimori
didn’t receive his first commission until age 44, after having worked as an
architectural historian for three decades. He has since been widely recognized
for his use of raw, natural materials and his strikingly playful and eccentric
designs—including this “Too-High Tea House” in his father’s backyard in Nagano,
Japan. Built on two 20-feet-tall chestnut trees, the house—which looks like it
came straight out of a Miyazaki fairy tale—can only be accessed by climbing a
ladder. Inside, a large window frames a scenic vista of his hometown………
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-6-modern-teahouses-architectural-wonders
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