théATRE is a modern lifestyle brand that utilizes tea to connect drink, food and art. The “théATRE Tea Pavilions” continues the previous conceptual explanation of life and tea, hoping that people can taste tea from tea drinks and cakes. The site is located in the atrium on the third floor of the West District of Sanlitun Beijing, and the street in the South District. It aims to allow pedestrians who pass by in a hurry to stop for a moment in front of this “urban tea house” to taste the leisure of tea-style life.

Our concept of “théATRE Tea Pavilions” comes from the tea house. The architectural form of the “tea house” as a carrier of tea culture is a functional place for people to drink tea, and it is also the experience we and the brand want to bring to customers. We regard the interior of this Tea Pavilion as the birthplace of tea making. At the window, we let part of the original wood countertop for passers-by to use, and the countertop is an outlet for the transmission of tea culture to the outside. The tea artist stands indoors and completes the communication process with customers through this medium.

“Symbolic” = 1 material + 1 shape

The site selection of this collection avoids traditional rectangular shops and prefers empty atrium, squares or streets. Therefore, the “uncertainty” of the site has become an issue, and the solution is to use the “symbolism” of the building to strengthen the memory of passers-by. In order to emphasize the unity of the symbol, the “tea pavilion” has been integrated in both the slope roof and the window opening. The bar counter, an area that is in close contact with people, is used as the dividing line of the building roof. The roof height in traditional buildings, which only accounts for a small part of the main body, is adjusted to the higher than the wall height. This makes the proportion of the entire tea room present a unique bluntness and blurs the horizontal line of the eaves and walls.

Material

In terms of material application, the project ensures the overall nature. Considering the extension of the window cornice, customized diamond-shaped metal tiles are used as the main finishing material of the roof. The metal tiles mass-produced by the factory are operable, which facilitates the smooth processing of each curved surface. The interior finishes and part of the exterior coatings are natural diatom mud, which restores the natural simplicity with a rough texture. The countertop that customers can touch easily use solid wood boards with natural edges, so that the traces of nature echo the brand’s products and are delivered to the hands of customers.

Reusable

We expect to have more connections with nature from the perspective of sustainable development, so the design of each tea pavilion is removable from structure to finish. In order to ensure transportation requirements, the structure is divided into various units, and the parts are connected with connectors to complete the entire structural system. The interior and exterior finishes and props are divided into modules according to the unit size. The assembly of all units should be completed in the factory to confirm the final state. Then it has to be disassembled and transported to the site, and the assembly process is repeated on site. This is a complete construction process.

The “théATRE Tea Pavilions” project is a community-based light business format that we and théATRE have tried. It forms “small base stations” that spread tea culture in the city and the resting places for tea tasting.