The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī by Hongbin Shen and Lu Xia

The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī by Hongbin Shen and Lu Xia is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Parahi in Hoahoa Taonga Tuku Iho me te Ahumahi Ahurea Competition Category.

ParahiTaonga Tuku Iho· 2026

The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī

by Hongbin Shen and Lu Xia

Client: Luren Design

A' Design Award Parahi Winner in Taonga Tuku Iho Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #177109

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī

Ko te Whare Inu Tī o te Whare Karakia o Daci he hoahoa o roto mō tētahi whare hītori i Chengdu. E 500 mita pūrua te rahi o te whare inu tī, e rua ōna papa. I whakakahangia, i whakapaia hoki te hanganga rākau taketake, me te pupuri i ngā kurupae, ngā pou me ngā whakairo kua tawhito. Mā ngā tatau tuku iho, ngā matapihi whakairo whai tukutuku me ngā ārai kōwae ka wehewehea te wāhi hei rūma tūmataiti me tētahi rūma nohonoho tūmatanui. Ka whakakopa ngā matapihi whakakopa reti maha ki tētahi taha, kia puare ai ngā rūma kati hei wāhi inu tī āhua-kei-waho. Kua whakamahia te whitiuru kōura me ngā hononga mortise me te tenon, kāore he whao, kāore he kāpia.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Parahi

Ko The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī te toa o te A' Design Award Parahi, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke e tohua ana mā te auaha, te mahi mōhio me te whakaaro hōhonu. Ko ngā toa Parahi he mahi pukenga e rite ana, he auaha mīharo, e whakatūturu ana i te wheako nui, te whakaaro me te mōhio-ā-ringa o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī he taonga whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he ngaio, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Parahi e whakauru ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa i te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau, ā, he tino mīharo ki ngā taipitopito. Ka whakatutuki a The Daci Monestary Teahouse Te Hoahoa o Roto mō te Whare Inu Tī i ngā hiahia, ka pā ki ngā hiahia, ka whakaoho i ngā kare-ā-roto, ā, ka kume i te pākiki.

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