Tea Room Study

What does it really mean to be served? This project is a study of Japanese tea room and tea garden layout. The buildings are loosely based on Omotesenke’s Fushin’an (不審庵). The Japanese tea room is a distinct type of building designed around the tea ceremony. It is a room that, at first glance, appears to be a mere extension of the tea-drinking ritual. Contemplating further, we see other details that reveal an intriguing power dynamic. Structures such as 中潜, the gate that connects the inside and outside of the garden, are designed to be so small that visitors have to curl up their bodies in order to step through the gate. The intention behind the design is said to humble the temper of the guests before they are served in the tea ceremony. This is only one of the many meticulously curated steps in the formality of the tea room visit.