Bronze Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2025
Tea Time Cultural Space
by Hang Chen
- A' Design Award 2025 Bronze Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: WE-Me Group of Shenzhen Water Planning & Design Institute Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 12,295
- Verification code D27C84E708 · Verify this award
About Tea Time Cultural Space
Tea Time is a reimagined tea house in Jianshui Ancient Town, designed to blend tradition with modern aesthetics. It enhances light, airflow, and spatial flow while preserving historical charm. Six immersive tea experiences unfold in a space shaped by copper-toned facades, transparent details, and nature-inspired elements. Water-textured acrylic, glass tiles, and preserved elmwood create a sensory journey, where architecture and nature shape each moment in time.
Hang Chen's Cultural Space represents a significant contribution to contemporary hospitality design, positioning the ritual of tea service within a material and spatial framework that honors both historical tea culture traditions and contemporary urban social patterns, this interior environment demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how architectural elements, material selection, and chromatic orchestration collaborate to create atmosphere that elevates everyday consumption into cultural experience worthy of mindful attention and social exchange. The designer exhibits notable compositional intelligence in organizing the service counter as a strong horizontal datum that structures the entire visual field, establishing clear functional hierarchy while maintaining visual interest through layered materiality and rhythmic element placement, the decision to juxtapose warm-toned natural timber whose pronounced figuring celebrates organic growth patterns against cooler neutral concrete-based surfaces and deliberately weathered ferrous elements creates material dialogue that prevents monotony while maintaining overall chromatic coherence, the earth-tone palette anchored in golden ochres, siennas, and umbers evokes natural landscapes and historical material traditions while the selective deployment of matte black vessels and fixtures provides necessary tonal contrast and contemporary edge, the lighting design deserves particular recognition for achieving that delicate balance between adequate task illumination for service activities and atmospheric warmth that invites lingering and social interaction, warm amber tones suggesting lower Kelvin temperatures create psychological comfort while focused accent lighting on work surfaces and display zones establishes functional clarity. The spatial arrangement reveals careful consideration of both operational efficiency and experiential quality, the counter positioned to create clear sightlines and approach paths while the bar stool placement at regular intervals suggests informal social gathering without forced proximity, the exposed architectural elements including the weathered column and aging brick wall fragments introduce temporal depth and authenticate the space within urban warehouse or adaptive reuse contexts increasingly valued in contemporary hospitality design, these gestures toward material history and honest aging align with broader cultural appreciation for patina, craft, and authenticity in contrast to hermetically finished commercial environments, the back bar organization with its floating shelves and carefully curated product display transforms functional storage into visual composition while the overhead menu graphics with their dotted leader lines and bold typography establish clear information hierarchy appropriate to the service typology. Thematically, this environment explores the intersection of tradition and contemporaneity that characterizes much current specialty beverage culture, where ancient preparation rituals and cultural practices around tea drinking receive new spatial and social frameworks suited to urban rhythms and contemporary aesthetic sensibilities, the design seems to ask how spaces can honor cultural heritage while remaining entirely of their moment, how materiality can speak to both geological time and immediate tactile pleasure, how functional commercial environments can transcend mere transaction to become destinations worthy of deliberate visitation and extended occupation, the viewer might contemplate how such carefully composed environments shape not only our consumption patterns but our capacity for presence and appreciation in daily life, whether the revival of craft beverage culture and the spaces it inhabits represents a meaningful counterpoint to accelerated contemporary existence or simply its aestheticized accommodation.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Tea Time is a tea house renovation project in Jianshui Ancient Town that seamlessly blends tradition with modern aesthetics. The design enhances natural light, ventilation, and spatial flow while preserving the historical charm of the architecture. Featuring six immersive tea experiences, the space integrates copper-toned facades, transparent glass interfaces, and natural materials. Through thoughtful spatial organization, it creates a serene and engaging environment that embodies the art of tea culture.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The design emphasizes spatial fluidity, allowing tea appreciation to unfold organically. Open interfaces enhance airflow, reducing reliance on mechanical ventilation. Carefully placed materials and lighting create a soft, immersive environment that adapts to different times of the day, reinforcing the concept of tea as an experience that evolves with time.
- Tags
- Interior Design, Cultural Space, Jianshui, Tea House, Flowing Time
- Production Technology
- The project utilizes a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern materials:
Water-textured acrylic panels and glass tiles enhance natural lighting.
Fiberglass and real stone paint sculpt landscape-inspired elements.
Preserved elmwood and metal accents balance warmth with structural elegance.
These materials create a seamless dialogue between nature, light, and human experience. - Design Challenge
- Balancing historic preservation with modern usability was a key challenge. The original building lacked sufficient natural light and spatial cohesion. The design solution introduced open interfaces, light-diffusing materials, and strategic airflow enhancements to create an inviting, energy-efficient space where tea culture thrives within a contemporary setting.
- Project Duration
- Location: Yinghui Road, Jianshui Ancient Town, China
Completion: 2024 - Operation Flow
- Tea Time is designed to balance social interaction and personal retreat. The entrance seamlessly guides guests through a visually engaging display, blending the tea house with the cityscape. Inside, a deep balcony connects private and communal spaces, allowing different activities to coexist harmoniously. Optimized airflow and natural light enhance comfort, while interactive design elements encourage engagement. The layout ensures a dynamic yet tranquil experience, where visitors can enjoy tea culture in a thoughtfully curated setting.
- Research
- The design was informed by extensive research into tea rituals, spatial storytelling, and environmental integration. Traditional Jianshui tea houses provided historical context, while modern lighting and airflow strategies ensured functional adaptability. The result is a harmonious blend of past and present, where each cup of tea is experienced as a moment in time.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the poetic rhythm of time, Tea Time captures the essence of tea drinking as a meditative journey. The space unfolds like a flowing narrative, where light shifts, air circulates, and materials evoke a connection to nature. By merging tradition with modern simplicity, the project transforms tea drinking into a ritual that celebrates slowness, serenity, and the timeless charm of Jianshui’s historic landscape.
- Image Credits
- Hang Chen
Colors of Tea Time Cultural Space
Get Tea Time Cultural Space
Design Interview about Tea Time Cultural Space
The main principle behind Tea Time Cultural Space is the reinterpretation of traditional Chinese tea culture through contemporary spatial design. Inspired by the flow of water and the passage of time, the project creates a dialogue between heritage and modernity. The design draws from Jianshui’s historic architecture, transforming the act of tea drinking into an immersive sensory journey where light, texture, and sound evoke the essence of calm and mindfulness.
The focus was to craft a space that transcends commercial function and becomes an emotional and cultural experience. The goal was to preserve the poetic tranquility of the traditional teahouse while introducing spatial transparency, fluid movement, and material innovation. The project aims to connect visitors with the rhythm of time — each tea scene reflecting a different mood, season, or sensory layer of the tea ritual.
I plan to expand Tea Time Cultural Space as a replicable model for contemporary cultural venues rooted in regional heritage. Future adaptations may appear in other historic towns, resorts, or cultural districts, where local materials and traditions can reinterpret the “flow of time” theme through architecture, light, and craftsmanship.
The design process spanned approximately eight months, from conceptual sketches and material exploration to interior detailing and coordination with artisans. Each stage involved close study of Jianshui’s local culture, daylight behavior, and sensory balance between tradition and modernity.
The project was commissioned as part of a cultural revitalization effort in Jianshui Ancient Town. However, the concept grew from a personal fascination with the philosophy of tea — as a metaphor for time, mindfulness, and human connection. The design became an exploration of how architecture can translate these intangible values into space and light.
The project was realized in collaboration with the client, who operates the space as a cultural venue and teahouse. The design concept and its material strategies remain under our authorship, with potential for future adaptation in partnership with cultural or operators seeking to reinterpret tea culture in new contexts.
Tea culture represents a profound expression of Chinese aesthetics — a ritual that unites people, nature, and philosophy. As a designer, I wanted to explore how spatial design can embody this essence through sensory storytelling. The project became an opportunity to merge architectural thinking with the artistry of tea, crafting a holistic cultural experience rather than a simple interior.
The work was influenced by the spatial poetics of Kengo Kuma and Tadao Ando — particularly their sensitivity to materiality and light. The integration of cultural narrative and craftsmanship was also inspired by contemporary Chinese architects who reinterpret vernacular traditions in modern ways, such as Wang Shu and Liu Jiakun.
The target audience includes tea enthusiasts, cultural tourists, artists, and urban dwellers seeking an immersive retreat into Chinese tradition. It also appeals to younger visitors interested in experiencing traditional culture through a modern lens. The space serves both as a cultural destination and a quiet sanctuary for reflection.
Unlike typical teahouses that merely reproduce historical aesthetics, Tea Time Cultural Space abstracts tradition into a fluid, sensory experience. The design combines material innovation — such as water-textured acrylic and copper-toned metal — with spatial choreography that guides visitors through six distinct “tea moments.” Each scene engages different senses, forming a narrative of flowing time.
The name Tea Time conveys both simplicity and depth. It represents the act of pausing — of being present in a fleeting moment. “Tea Time” also reflects the project’s core idea: the fluid relationship between tea, light, and time. Each space embodies a different temporal state, transforming tea drinking into a meditation on impermanence and beauty.
We used a combination of Rhino, SketchUp, and Enscape for modeling and visualization, AutoCAD for technical coordination, and Adobe Photoshop / Illustrator for presentation. Hand sketches and physical material mockups played a critical role in refining the tactile and atmospheric qualities of the space.
The most distinctive aspect is the integration of time and materiality — how light, reflection, and transparency evolve throughout the day. The six tea scenes act as chapters in a narrative, each shaped by different interactions between natural light, water-like materials, and handcrafted wood. This interplay turns a simple act of tea drinking into a cinematic experience of space and emotion.
Yes. The project involved collaboration with local artisans, woodworkers, and glass specialists from Jianshui. Their traditional craftsmanship was essential in achieving the tactile richness of the materials. Additionally, lighting consultants helped refine the atmosphere, balancing daylight with soft, ambient artificial illumination.
Technology supports the project’s spatial and environmental precision. Digital modeling tools helped optimize light behavior and airflow patterns, while custom LED systems allowed dynamic adjustment of color temperature to complement natural daylight. However, technology remains subtle — always in service of atmosphere and sensory balance, not visual dominance.
Yes. The design was informed by environmental and cultural research. We analyzed daylight paths, ventilation flows, and human circulation patterns to enhance comfort and fluidity. Historical research on Jianshui’s architecture and tea rituals guided the spatial proportions and material palette, ensuring cultural authenticity alongside modern reinterpretation.
One major challenge was harmonizing preservation and innovation — respecting the ancient town’s architectural language while introducing contemporary aesthetics. Another challenge involved achieving the desired sensory balance with materials like glass and metal without disrupting the historical warmth of the wooden structure. Crafting a seamless flow between the six tea scenes also required iterative spatial testing and lighting adjustments.
We submitted Tea Time Cultural Space to the A’ Design Award to share how cultural heritage can evolve through modern design thinking. The project demonstrates that traditional architecture and rituals can find new vitality when interpreted with contemporary materials, environmental awareness, and emotional storytelling.
This project deepened my understanding of emotional architecture — how space can influence human perception of time, tranquility, and connection. It also enhanced my appreciation for craftsmanship and the dialogue between designers and local artisans. Through this process, I refined my ability to merge cultural narrative with spatial innovation.
Tea Time Cultural Space is more than an interior project — it is a spatial narrative of time. It invites people to slow down, to perceive the subtleties of light, sound, and texture, and to reconnect with cultural memory. The design aspires to remind visitors that every cup of tea, like every moment in life, carries its own rhythm, story, and meaning.
Grand Interview about Tea Time Cultural Space
Tea Time Cultural Space emerged from a desire to reinterpret the traditional tea house as a “living flow of time” — where ancient rituals meet contemporary sensibilities. The concept draws inspiration from Jianshui’s long-standing tea culture and architectural heritage, reimagined through a modern lens that emphasizes lightness, fluidity, and sensory engagement. The design’s guiding idea was to allow time to become perceptible — to let visitors experience the transformation of light, texture, and aroma as if each cup of tea unfolds within a moving landscape. This dialogue between tradition and modernity, stillness and motion, defines the project’s poetic essence.
The use of water-textured acrylic and translucent glass tiles was inspired by the reflective and fluid qualities of tea itself — its surface ripples, its clarity, and its ever-changing hues. These materials transform sunlight into a living material, refracting light like liquid and creating a meditative ambiance that mirrors the slow rhythm of tea brewing. As daylight passes through, surfaces seem to breathe; shadows ripple like water, echoing the ancient philosophy of finding movement within stillness. The result is an atmosphere that deepens sensory awareness, allowing visitors to perceive tea not just as a beverage but as an experience of space, time, and light.
The six scenes of “Tea, Flowing Time” form the spatial and emotional backbone of Tea Time Cultural Space. Each scene transforms the act of tea drinking into a dialogue between architecture, light, nature, and emotion, unfolding like a six-chapter poem that connects visitors with the rhythm of time.Scene One – Tea Welcomes Guests, Cityscape Blends introduces visitors through a copper-toned “metal ribbon” façade paired with ultra-clear glass, where light reflects between the display of new teas and the view of the ancient city. This opening gesture merges the tea room with the surrounding urban landscape, allowing the city’s scenery and the delicate utensils to coexist in visual harmony — a metaphor for tradition embracing modernity.Scene Two – Simplicity and Naturalness, Unwinding Time returns to the essence of tea through minimalism. The palette of stone, wood, and earth tones creates a serene and grounding interior, inviting guests to slow their pace and feel the calm flow of time — as if each breath resonates with the stillness of nature.Scene Three – Containing Wind and Absorbing Air Energy, Freehand Brushwork transforms air and light into design elements. Open interfaces and spatial permeability allow natural breezes and sunlight to flow freely, connecting the interior and exterior tea spaces. The interplay of shadows, tree silhouettes, and outdoor seating blurs boundaries, forming a living landscape painting where human presence, nature, and architecture intertwine in gentle movement.Scene Four – Diverting Light into Water, Blending Tea and Water explores the relationship between illumination and emotion. Ripple-textured acrylic and glass tiles filter daylight into soft waves of brightness that glide over beams and floors, shaping a “tea garden of light.” The fluid reflections make light feel like water, and time — gentle as a stream — seeps quietly into the sensory experience of tea.Scene Five – By Means of Mountain and Water, Tea and Wood Complement Each Other pays homage to the harmony of natural materials. Anti-corrosion elm planks, stone-textured bases, and tree-stump seating create a tactile dialogue between tea, mountain, and wood. Here, the aroma of tea fuses with the essence of the land, extending the landscape’s vitality into the act of tasting and sharing.Scene Six – Raindrops Pattering on Banana Leaves concludes the journey with sound and emotion. When rain falls, its rhythmic tapping against banana leaves composes a natural melody — a tranquil moment reminiscent of traditional Chinese gardens. Tea fragrance mingles with the sound of rain, and time seems suspended in that harmony between stillness and motion.Together, these six scenes form a continuous sensory narrative, where light, wind, water, wood, and sound transform architecture into a living tea ceremony. The design thus captures the core spirit of Tea Time Cultural Space — to let visitors experience time as it flows gently through every cup, every reflection, and every breath.
The design approach began with respect for the local context — preserving the site’s spatial proportion, façade rhythm, and material tonality characteristic of Jianshui’s historic architecture. Instead of direct imitation, we chose reinterpretation: copper-toned metal replaced traditional clay tiles, while transparent details introduced lightness and visual permeability. The building form remains rooted in traditional courtyard typology, yet open circulation and improved ventilation reflect contemporary needs. This dialogue between old and new, opacity and transparency, allows Tea Time to become a cultural bridge — one that honors memory while embracing modern life.
Material selection was guided by the philosophy of natural evolution and temporal beauty. The copper-toned façade changes subtly over time, oxidizing into richer shades that echo the patina of teapots and the warmth of aged wood. Preserved elmwood, sourced from local structures, retains the texture of history — each grain carrying the marks of time. Together, these materials embody the idea of wabi-sabi, celebrating imperfection and impermanence. Their tactile and visual depth allows the act of tea drinking to expand into a spatial meditation, where one can sense both the earthiness of tradition and the refinement of modern craft.
Spatial organization and natural ventilation were designed to evoke the rhythm of tea brewing — calm, continuous, and intentional. Openings, partitions, and courtyards are arranged to guide air, light, and sound in a balanced sequence, much like the gestures of a tea master. Each turn and transition allows visitors to breathe with the building — experiencing temperature, fragrance, and sound as interconnected elements. This architectural choreography creates a sense of mindfulness; it slows perception and deepens the visitor’s emotional connection to both space and ceremony.
Sustainability was achieved through passive design principles that align with the site’s traditional wisdom. The orientation maximizes daylight while reducing direct solar gain. The layered façade of metal screens and acrylic panels provides natural shading and thermal balance. Cross-ventilation eliminates the need for mechanical cooling for most of the year, while locally sourced materials minimize embodied carbon. By combining ancient environmental strategies with modern detailing, Tea Time achieves low energy consumption without compromising the poetic atmosphere intrinsic to traditional tea spaces.
The deep balcony was conceived as a transitional realm — neither fully inside nor outside. It allows visitors to pause, observe, and engage in quiet dialogue with the surrounding townscape. Functionally, it mediates between the intimate tea chambers and the open public lounge, offering flexibility for both solitude and social interaction. This spatial gradient reflects the social philosophy of tea — a balance between introspection and communion. The balcony thus becomes a stage for subtle social rituals, where architecture orchestrates human connection through pause, distance, and view.
Tea Time seeks to redefine what a tea house can mean in the modern era — not merely a venue for consumption but a spatial expression of cultural introspection. By blending ancient aesthetics with contemporary materiality and light-based design, it demonstrates how tradition can be renewed rather than replicated. I hope this project inspires a new generation of designers to treat traditional architecture as a living organism — one that evolves through reinterpretation, sensitivity, and emotional depth.
Cultural preservation should never be about freezing time; it is about continuing time with respect and creativity. My advice is to begin by deeply understanding the essence of place — its materials, climate, rituals, and emotions — and then reinterpret those qualities through the lens of the present. True innovation in cultural design comes not from novelty, but from sincerity, from allowing architecture to express continuity between memory and imagination, heritage and future.