English text by Irene Luo
Photos by Wang Ning
At the heart of old Beijing are traditional Chinese hutong neighborhoods, formed by meandering streets, crisscrossing alleyways, and lines of traditional siheyuan, or courtyard residences. To breathe new life into one such historic residence in Beijing’s East District, Arch Studio’s architects transformed the interior of the building into a contemporary teahouse while retaining elements of the traditional design. Judging by the arrangement of the wood in the original structure and the size of the bricks, the architects determined that the north wing of the siheyuan predated the Qing Dynasty, making it at least 350 years old.
While the roof maintains the striking traditional style, the internal courtyard had to be largely enclosed to maintain the temperature inside the tearooms.
Beijing’s courtyard residences were first developed as early as the Liao Dynasty almost 1,000 years ago, and generations of Beijing residents have lived and prospered in these buildings. But over the centuries, many siheyuan have slowly fallen into increasing disrepair and dilapidation. Since the mid-20th century, large portions of these traditional neighborhoods have been demolished to make way for modern apartment complexes. The gradual disappearance of these cultural relics has prompted a number of local developers to repurpose or renovate the structures. And so vital centers of Chinese architectural history continue to withstand the test of time and the endless economic pressure.
The architecture of the traditional structure had to be carefully balanced against the demands of contemporary urban living. The old was thus harmonized with the new, the exterior with the interior, and the natural with the synthetic to build a sleek, yet comfortable space for conversation and relaxation.
Stark contrast between block colors and unique textures blend with warm ambient interior lighting and natural light in the tearooms.
Encapsulated by wood, glass, and bamboo and decorated with eccentric, wooden benches, the hallway blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.
The “si” in siheyuan means “four” and refers to the four sides of north, south, east, and west. Rather than building a courtyard behind the home, the Chinese traditionally situated an open-air courtyard right in the center of the structure, sheltered from the elements on four sides.
Chinese architects traditionally built these residential complexes guided by the basic principle of having a strong, sturdy exterior enclosing a spacious, open interior. In this way, these buildings resemble a square with a garden in its center. This verdant center was traditionally a tranquil space landscaped with a balanced myriad of flora and stone that complemented the building’s gray exterior walls.
In the spirit of the traditional Chinese courtyard, the architects incorporated three refreshing oases of bamboo and warm sunlight into the modern design, thus providing each tearoom with its own small wellspring of scenery.
Glass walls in the gallery bridge the traditional building exterior and bamboo landscape with
the modern tearoom, creating a synthesis of contemporary and traditional.
In designing the corridors and walkways within the teahouse, Arch Studio employed the winding, curved designs typical of traditional Chinese architecture, which values a more circular aesthetic over a linear one. This design technique also has a functional purpose in separating different spaces of that building into different tearooms. Glass barrier walls and wooden, tree-like columns pervade the interior, further blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, and separating the public and more secluded spaces.
Stark contrast between block colors and unique textures blend with warm ambient interior lighting and natural light in the tearooms.
From the outside, the new teahouse appears modest, with little differentiating it from the other aging siheyuan in the area. But closer inspection hints at the modernity that lies within. A smooth glass door at the end of a narrow entrance corridor is the first indication that inside waits an entirely different environment, where one discovers a creative and pleasing blend of the traditional and the modern.
Encapsulated by wood, glass, and bamboo and decorated with eccentric, wooden benches, the hallway blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Click here to read our Chinese version
LOCATION:
East District,
Beijing, China
PROJECT TYPE:
Commercial
Tea House
DESIGN TEAM:
Han Wenqiang,
Cong Xiao,
Zhao Yang
DESIGN
COMPANY: ARCHSTUDIO
www.archstudio.cn
