Sichang-Road Teahouse

Kunshan, China
First Floor Plan
Drawing © Pu Miao
Section
Drawing © Pu Miao
Northeast corner of the building, the intermediate pool and the river
Photo © Pu Miao
The main entrance in the middle part of the west elevation
Photo © Pu Miao
From the main entrance looking toward the river
Photo © Pu Miao
Sunken tearooms and the corridor
Photo © Pu Miao
Looking toward the large tearoom from the sunken tearooms
Photo © Pu Miao
Southeast view of the building
Photo © Pu Miao
South elevation
Photo © Pu Miao
Sunken tearooms
Photo © Pu Miao
Architects
Pu Miao
Location
Sichang Road at Ma-an-shan Road, Kunshan, China
Year
2007
Client
Kunshan City Construction Investment and Development Co. Ltd.
Team
Pu Miao
Engineering
Shanghai Landscape Architecture Design Institute

Located between an urban street and a preserved river, the design of the teahouse explored ways to reintroduce nature into modern Chinese urban life. To ensure that users can have an intimate relationship with the river, part of the tea rooms are made into sunken glass pods surrounded by water. The glass pods can be opened so people may touch the water. The water level is stabilized by an intermediate pool which appears to merge with the river when seen from the inside of the teahouse. The design also experimented on a double curved version of “flat curve”--a form often seen in traditional Chinese architecture-- with a low-tech and low-cost method.

Publication
Architectural Journal (China, 1/2009) and book Architecture 09’08’ : Works from the Forum on Chinese Contemporary Architecture (2009), Atlas of Contemporary Chinese Architecture (2014)

Exhibited at the "Water--Curse or Blessing!? Encouraging Architectural Projects in Asia-Pacific", an exhibition and symposium at the Aedes East-International Forum for Contemporary Architecture, Berlin, Germany, 2011 

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Magazine

Other Projects by Pu Miao

Hillside House
Suzhou, China
Visitor Center, Lake Yangcheng Park
Kunshan, China
Zhuting Church
Zhuzhou, China
Pavilions in Lake Yangcheng Park
Kunshan, China
Visitor Center, Xingxi Park
Kunshan, China