The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té by Hongbin Shen and Lu Xia

The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té by Hongbin Shen and Lu Xia is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Bronce in Deseño de Patrimonio Cultural e Industria Cultural Competition Category.

BroncePatrimonio Cultural· 2026

The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té

by Hongbin Shen and Lu Xia

Client: Luren Design

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Patrimonio Cultural Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #177109

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té

A Casa de Té do Mosteiro de Daci é un deseño de interiores para un edificio histórico en Chengdu. A casa de té abrangue uns 500 metros cadrados en dous andares. A estrutura orixinal de madeira foi reforzada e reparada, conservando as vigas, os piares e as tallas envellecidas. Portas tradicionais, fiestras de celosía talladas e tabiques modulares dividen o espazo en salas privadas e un salón público. Fiestras plegables corredizas de múltiples paneis dóbranse cara a un lado, de modo que as salas pechadas poden abrirse cara a espazos de té semiexteriores. Emprégase sándalo dourado e ensamblaxes de caixa e espiga sen cravos nin cola.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té gañou o A' Design Award de Bronce, un recoñecemento altamente prestixioso outorgado a deseños sobresaíntes que se distinguen pola creatividade, o enxeño e a sagacidade. Os gañadores Bronce son artefactos amplamente hábiles e sorprendentemente creativos que autentican a vasta experiencia, imaxinación e enxeño dos seus deseñadores. Espérase que The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té sexa un obxecto moi apreciado, admirado e querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora as mellores prácticas da arte, a ciencia, o deseño e a tecnoloxía, e é excelente pola súa atención ao detalle. The Daci Monestary Teahouse Deseño de Interiores de Casa de Té satisfai espléndidamente as necesidades, toca os desexos, encanta os sentimentos e atrae a curiosidade.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This teahouse incorporates the wisdom of Rules of Architecture Noted and innovatively adopts multi-link sliding track folding windows. This allows window panels to fold to one side, instantly turning the enclosed teahouse into a semi-open space. The teahouse retains traditional carved lattice windows, blending them with ancient architectural styles. It preserves the historic structure while introducing natural light, shadow and views.
Dimensions & Packaging: The teahouse is located in Daci Monastery within Chengdu Taikoo Li, covering approximately 500 square meters and divided into two floors. The renovation of the teahouse relies on modern mortise and tenon craftsmanship without glue or nails.
Tags: Respect for tradition; Commercial value conversion; Heritage of ancient architecture; Sliding track folding windows; Semi-outdoor tea table setting; Golden sandalwood; Flowing zen vibe; Zen tea culture; Teahouse private rooms; Sustainability
Production Technology: The teahouse carries on the essence of ancient architecture, using golden sandalwood for its texture and rot resistance. The sandalwood develops a unique beauty over time, reducing resource consumption from frequent material replacement. The wood incorporates anti-corrosion and anti-insect techniques, effectively lowering maintenance needs. It also uses modern mortise and tenon craftsmanship without nails or glue, fitting eco-concepts and fusing modern techniques with traditional aesthetics.
Design Challenge: Designers drew on the spatial wisdom of Rules of Architecture Noted to innovate independent multi-link sliding folding windows. This allows the window sashes to fold to one side, enabling seamless interaction between indoor spaces and outdoor scenery while imparting strong appeal and expansibility. Using traditional carved window lattices, door panels and partitions, designers avoided damaging the ancient structure while letting tea drinkers enjoy both tea tasting and cultural immersion.
Research: This teahouse stands as a practice and inspiration for the revitalization and utilization of historic buildings. Respecting the original architecture, it draws on ancient building essentials to repurpose spatial layouts for commercial use and revamp private rooms. It also pioneered multi-link sliding folding windows without harming the ancient structure, boosting interaction between people, environment and culture to immerse them in the merged beauty of the heritage and age-old zen tea culture.
Inspiration: Designers balanced the overall design between ancient architecture preservation and commercial value. They chose to reinforce and repair the original wooden structure, preserving the time-worn mottled beams, pillars and carvings, while adding traditional doors, lattice windows and partitions. This design creatively divides the teahouse into elegant private rooms facing Taikoo Li views and a public lounge area, adding multi-scene functionality to create a tranquil teahouse amid bustle.
Project Duration: The project finished in May 2024 in Chengdu.
Operation Flow: The teahouse integrates traditional wisdom with modern tech, enabling seamless switching between enclosed spaces and semi-outdoor tea settings to form a breathable space. The teahouse retains the ancient architectural style in both layout and space. Through modular partitions, it enables free transformation of spatial forms—where areas are separated yet interconnected, and views shift with each step. Different private rooms are designed to suit the needs of various occasions.
Team Members: Hongbin Shen
Image Credits: LUREN DESIGN