Shanghai-based architecture and interior design practice Sò Studio has created surreal tea garden for a tea ceremony house in Beijing, China. 

Named théATRE, the 135-square-metre space is located on the 4th Floor of East Block in Wangfu Central in Beijing. "Having a tea in this surreal tea garden will bring you an unforgettable ceremony experience," emphasize the architects.

"Opening" is the first thing the studio did for the space. The designers opened the façade and left 1/3 of the space completely connected with the outdoor. 

"We hope that the guests can feel the story of the interior and see our tea gardens and products at first sight. It was our first attempt to use U-shaped glass for the façade," said the studio.

"The texture of the glass itself allowed us to see the mottled image of the indoor, which feels like the oil painting."

The façade opens to expose the white streamers of the indoor tea garden, forming a shared tea garden space that strengthens the dialogue between the inside and the outside. From the outside, the white streamers are integrated into the interior, and the warm light also keeps the entire visual center in the tea garden. When you look into the blurred image, the unreal virtual shadow makes people want to walk in immediately.

The first thing that the studio sees inside its space should be the "orange" white space. Our lighting used a color temperature of 2700k. Some key areas even used a 2200k color temperature light source. 

The warm amber color creates a sense of intimacy. From the design point of view, the space we hope for is holistic, simple, and advanced; it does not distract people's attention with colors.

Four different white textures make the relationship between spaces stand out naturally. Three kinds of white stones strengthen the space's calmness and simplicity through different tones and reflections; while the exterior curtain and the white metal streamer form the strongest contrast. 

"We have created a 20% sense of distance and created a 50% sense of intimacy. The inexplicit relationship makes the surreal genes of the space deeply rooted in people's heart."

Sò Studio clearly remember such a dialogue in the design field, "When you see the studio of Constantin Brancusi, how do you feel? I can't tell the sculptures scattered around, I want to walk in and see the surface of each sculpture, and I feel like each one quite similar. The light of the skylight gives each sculpture a shadow." It is the sculpture of Brancusi that inspired our installation. Different geometric sculptures bring some edges and fun to the space.

The bar is connected to the VIP room at the other end of the space. We tried to create a more PURE area in the bar area, which would enhance the independent feeling of the space; the VIP room is on the right side of the bar, the feeling of the entrance also continued the feeling of semi-opening of the façade.

The studio made a special lighting design in order to create surprises to the guests. The color-changing lighting control allows this "theatre" to change into another scene after 8 o'clock every day.

Plan layout

Project facts

Name: théATRE
Concept: A "Modern Tea Ceremony House"
Idea and key words: A surreal tea garden
Gross Built Area: 135 m2
Address: 404C, 4th Floor, East Block, Wangfu Central, 269 Wangfujing Street, Beijing, China 

Client: théATRE
Image Production: MUYI Concept+ Production
Design team: Sò Studio
Furniture brand: Cassina; MatzForm; Sancal
Lighting brand: &tradition
Lighting design: AILD

All images © Yuhao Ding, Elbe

> via Sò Studio