Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá by Cao Sun

Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá by Cao Sun is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Prata in Design de Espaços Interiores e Exposições Competition Category.

PrataInterior· 2026

Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá

by Cao Sun

Client: Nova Space Design

A' Design Award de Prata Winner in Interior Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #174659

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá

A Casa de Chá Xiyuan é um interior de casa de chá situado junto ao Lago Oeste, em Hangzhou, na China. O espaço de 1500 metros quadrados inclui uma plataforma central de chá elevada, oito salas privativas, uma escultural escada de bronze com guarda-corpos embutidos em madeira verde e um espelho d'água integrado à paisagem. Folheados de madeira feitos à mão e paredes de reboco em tons claros são empregados em todo o ambiente. Janelas com caixilhos sob medida abrem vistas para o lago. Um percurso de circulação em anel conduz os visitantes lentamente através das salas. O projeto reinterpreta a estética oriental tradicional para um contexto contemporâneo de hospitalidade.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Prata

Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá conquistou o A' Design Award de Prata, um reconhecimento extraordinariamente prestigiado atribuído a designs de topo de gama, deslumbrantes e impressionantes. Os vencedores da Prata são obras tremendamente brilhantes e extremamente criativas que ilustram a perícia, o talento e a acuidade excecionais dos seus designers. Espera-se que Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá seja uma obra maravilhosa e de referência, notavelmente profissional e profundamente inovadora. Este design vencedor do A' Design Award de Prata é uma invenção muito notável e admirada, que beneficia e faz avançar as fronteiras da arte, da ciência, do design e da tecnologia. Xiyuan Teahouse Design de Interiores de Casa de Chá é uma criação imensamente invejada que desperta desejos, traz sentimentos positivos e faz nascer espanto e deslumbramento.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This project reinterprets Oriental aesthetics through modern spatial language, blending symbolic elements, nature inspired materials, and layered spatial planning. Located by West Lake, it integrates landscape, function, and narrative to provide guests with a serene, immersive cultural experience. Its sculptural staircase, window-framed views, and poetic detailing create a unique sense of ritual and emotional resonance.
Dimensions & Packaging: Total built area: 1500 square meters. Key spatial components include an elevated central tea platform, eight distinctive private rooms, a sculptural bronze staircase, and a landscape integrated water feature. Window systems are custom framed to optimize views and natural lighting. Materials are chosen to enhance symbolic and sensory experience.
Tags: Oriental Aesthetics, West Lake, Tea Culture, Immersive Space, Cultural Memory, Landscape Integration, Bronze Staircase, Handcrafted Materials, Poetic Space, Spiritual Retreat
Production Technology: The teahouse features handcrafted wood veneers, bronze clad spiral stairs with inlaid greenwood railings, artisanal light toned plaster walls, and custom crystal acrylic tea sculptures. Spatial planning follows a loop circulation strategy, optimizing lake views and operational efficiency while reinforcing the natural and cultural dialogue of the interior.
Design Challenge: The core challenge lay in reinterpreting traditional Eastern aesthetics in a modern hospitality context without resorting to pastiche. Balancing symbolic depth with operational needs, integrating natural and built landscapes, and addressing tourist engagement within a historically significant setting required careful design logic and cultural sensitivity.
Research: Design research began with site analysis and historical study of Wang Yutai Tea House and literati traditions. Methodology included archival review, interviews, and spatial simulations. Participants included hotel operators, historians, and tea masters. Insights informed symbolic design, spatial zoning, and sensory elements. Results strengthened cultural resonance and guest engagement.
Inspiration: The design was inspired by the century old heritage of the Wang Yutai Tea House and the refined literati lifestyle of West Lake's past. From the "West Lake Moon Gatherings" to the tranquil tea rituals, the project revives cultural memories through spatial storytelling, aiming to reconnect modern life with traditional Eastern ideals of beauty, balance, and contemplation.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2024 in Hangzhou, China and finished in October 2024.
Operation Flow: The design encourages slow paced, reflective engagement. Visitors enter through a symbolic gateway and follow a circular path that reveals lake views, private rooms, and shared tea platforms. Seating and height variations allow layered interaction with the scenery. The flow fosters both intimacy and openness, enhancing spiritual and sensory experiences.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Zhang jianing, Xiyuan Teahouse, 2024.
Image #1: Photographer Zhang jianing, Xiyuan Teahouse, 2024.
Image #1: Photographer Zhang jianing, Xiyuan Teahouse, 2024.
Image #1: Photographer Zhang jianing, Xiyuan Teahouse, 2024.
Image #1: Photographer Zhang jianing, Xiyuan Teahouse, 2024.