Walk in the street where there are old tiles, green bricks, mottled shadows of trees, step on the gray and black flagging that carries historical rudiment, and then slowly pass through the bustling crowds to the corner of the Macao Road. Here is the location of Sky Tea House. It is a tea house in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys (also known as Sanfang Qixiang, a historic and cultural area in the city of Fuzhou). Although it is in the central area, it is still like a paradise beingquiet, unperturbed,and going with leisure time.
Standing at the door of the tea house, you can find the archaic Chinese rhyme of traditional shops. This everlasting artistic conception is no longer solemn and silent; it is a perfect integration with modern life atmosphere and is a recombination of the traditional and the modern, people and space.
Analysis graphics after reconstruction
In this case, we have restructured the space. The first and second floors of the house were original independent spaces and were too closed; after opening the second floor, people can stand at the transition to spy on the upper scene but cannot see the whole, which is the beauty of traditional architecture. When standing on the second floor to overlook the first floor, it is completely different scenery. The flow of guests adds a bit of activeness to the quiet environment. The tea cellars on both sides naturally and vividly connect the upper and lower spaces of different functions, and slowly extend to the roof, raving the depth of the whole space in one go.
The roof is a heavy color in the process of renewal. The original structure of the house was just a slope top. On this basis, it was reconstructed through deconstruction and reorganization of elements, making it an integration of both the appearance and charm of Jiangnan houses; the fire installation which was mounted at the center is the source of the inspiration. It was reconstructed into a house beam, turning from the original thorny problem to a finishing touch, and integrated into space perfectly. The whole log structure runs through the space. With strong sense of ceremony, it sublimates the aura of the whole house, so that people can find inner peace in the space.
The path to the second floor can be said to be very humanized. The original interior planning had no direct road to the second floor. People needed to walk outside and go upstairs from the stairs in the west of the house; after the reconstruction, the path to the second floor is hidden on the right side of the stone. If you seek for it, you can only see a light source and the hidden under the armrest. It is to induce people to find the secret. The stairs are narrow, making it attractive to people and burying a foreshadowing for the second floor scene.
First floor (flat image)
On the second floor, two VIP tea wing-rooms and an exchange area are set to meet the daily use. The exchange area is processed into a flexible multi-functional space through the fine adjustment of local relations. The raised tatami can be shared at a tea ceremony, or can be combined with the front space as an activity area, where visitors do not need to be restrained. Sit on the floor and talk with tweedle - this is a seeking of bosom friends in the mountains and running water.
In spare time, the north wall will play special videos. The clear water drops in the video fall from top to bottom to break the calm of the water surface and become ripples; the sound is light like a spring swallow that is twittering, like a cricket that is crooning, as if it is spying on the mystery of life.
The tea cellar and the tea wing-room are separated and blended with each other.The south side of the tea wing-room is facing the window, and natural light flowering into the room and going directly to the tea cellar through Chinese art paper. The natural light is cross-integrated with the indoor light source, realizing the overlap of different spaces and living situations from outside to inside, and making the house learn to “breathe” and be active.
The owner of the tea house likes to pick up and collect strange stones. At the same time, he is also a tea maker. This is why he named the tea house SKY TEA HOUSE. The space is very good to integrate the owner's hobby: a few natural stones are placed on the inside - the traditional landscaping method is used with their wonderful shaping, and the changes of light, shadow and space level are made use of to create the beauty of calm and restraint.
"Being light like cicada wing, being white like snow, and shaking like fine silk" is the sincere praise of the Chinese art paper, and we also apply it to space. On the left side of the display cabinet, tea products are placed on one side, dedicate products are placed on the other, and glass which is pasted with thin pieces of Chinese art paper on two sides is used as a partition. The natural light is filtered through the partition, with misty beauty; the light and shadow play a harmonious melody in the space, just like the music played by violin.
In Fuzhou, drinking tea is a thing that can be seen everywhere. The bamboo chair under the tile, the antique tea house, and the shaded tea house stand in streets are all over the city. The Sky Tea House is more interesting. From old furniture to crosstie, from the bamboo-made plates to the books of ages, all show the taste and details; at the same time, the tea from Wuyi Mountain is mellow, bringing people a comfortable tea experience.
The whole space design is focused on the collection and release of materials, light and shadow, and the artistic conception of the space. It is not in one place, leaving no trace, giving full play to buddhist mood and quietness, so that the house can be glow with new vitality. It is the integration of tradition and multi-culture, showing a different mood of “SanfangQixiang”.