Gan Wei Teahouse is located on Jiujiang Road in Shanghai, inside an old building near the Bund, which used to be the Securities Building of the Republican era. Once the client approached me, saying that he wanted to set up a brand-new type of teahouse with two specific requirements: firstly, the teahouse aims at catering to the surrounding area instead of becoming an internet sensation that might bring unnecessary pressure to potential customers; secondly, the teahouse should attract people to come in and take a seat, in the meantime make them realize that drinking tea is such a relaxing activity.
Tea Stall and Teahouse
There are two prototypes for teahouse spaces. One is a tea stall set by the roadside, of which contains a stove inside a small cart for boiling tea, a few pieces of cloth propped up for shade, and several square tables and benches beneath it. People who are thirsty during a fair can take a seat there, having a sip of hot tea and getting refreshed. The other type is the teahouse from earlier years, where friends gather together, served a pot of tea with refreshments, chatting and enjoying operas, waiters bustling about, offering a lively atmosphere. These two prototypes became the starting point of the design. We hope that the project could also spread an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort.
Hustle and Bustle
Different from the sophisticated finishing of the city, design strategy of the teahouse is more like the wisdom of common people. Erecting steel frames, hanging metal curtains, attaching light fixtures, laying tiles, setting up cabinets, arranging tables and chairs, placing some green plants – an authentic tea stall is completed in an unfinished manner. The new teahouse, like a stranger, has been inserted into the original building. These seemingly simple designs form a unique and relaxing atmosphere. Sitting under the curtains, people can get off their urbanite pretenses, enjoying tea along with conversation.
Opening and Closing
In such type of third space, on one hand, the staff wants to have a clear view of the whole space so that all the customers can be accommodated, while customers themselves want to be seen as well, hence they prefer a large open space. On the other hand, customers also require certain level of privacy to separate themselves from others. Such contradiction has been a constant struggle during the design process. Therefore, we hung the metal curtains as screens to faintly block the sight while achieving the balance between opening and closing in a hazy manner. Unexpectedly, we find the ambience of a secluded garden through this manner.
One night after the teahouse opened, the client sent me a video clip, in which several young people were gathered in a corner of the teahouse, playing a piece of Beijing Opera. They swayed their heads, imitated the opera style, and even burst into a chorus at the climax, with confidence and pleasure, as if they have grasped the essence of opera. Frankly speaking, I felt hugely relieved when seeing this video, since it seems that the intended effect of space had been achieved and spread. After all, it is a quintessential experience to listen to an opera in a teahouse, isn’t it?
