Constructed in the backyard of Archi-Union Architects office in Shangai, China, a house of great architectural interest and complexity emerges from its natural surroundings. The two storey Tea House, which serves as a library, study, lounge and tea area, brings a new meaning to expressive architectural shapes and forms.
Constructed from salvaged parts of the original warehouse’s collapsed roof it consists of a glass façade and timber-formed concrete walls twisting up through the interior space. Behind the ground floor tea room, a lounge and a reading are are hidden by the spiral concrete walls. A triangular balcony extends from the façade on the first floor and rolls around the branches of an existing tree, this way integrating it to the structure. A staircase connects the functional spaces and leads up to a tranquil and unique room which serves as a library.
Impossible to be understood through plans, the design of this exceptional and eye catching building exemplifies harmony by marrying enclosure and openness, while making use of every single corner. Extremely complex in both design and construction, the Tea House is definitely a creation worth noticing and exploring.
