Zi-Yuan-Jian Teahouse

In ancient Chinese philosophy, there is an inevitable link between heaven and earth. The ancient Chinese believe that, the value of life can only beachieved when an individual infiltrates into heaven and earth. This ideological ramification of Confucianism dominates the construction of orthodox. It makes artificiality a collective of metaphors and a cultural carrier which is key to understand traditional Chinese culture. Beijing is the best representation of this value system. The city (ancient Beijing City), the palace (Forbidden City) and the residence (quadrangle) are the fractal structures of a Confucian society. This project, seated beside the moat of Forbidden City, is discussing the possibility of “attaching”cultureonto modern architecture. Based on the understanding of Beijing, I designed Zi-Yuan-Jian Tea House spatially introversive. The exterior walls extent the street harmoniously and create a universe enclosed. The topological folding surfaces of the walls blur the boundaries of buildings and courtyards. The volume of buildings and the subsidiary relationship with its courtyard are no longer perceptible. A game of “lost and choice” is then created: the tourists are lost in the ceaseless choices and the memories overlap. Time and space are unlimitedly extended in the unceasing process of choosing. This ambiguity is also represented in the redefinition of the “opening”. These “openings” create layers of space, which is borrowed from conceptionsin Chinese gardens.Meanwhile, the meandering paths keep the sight within a limited range, which makes the movements of staying and going through dramatic, and spatial narration can proceed progressively. Learned from the planning theory of Forbidden City, the courtyards are designed and named according to Eight Diagrams.

Project Information Project Type: Architecture and Interior Design Principal Architect: Zigeng Wang Design Time: 2005