A wooden structure from the era of the Qing dynasty has been restored into a teahouse in Fuzhou, China, using copper cladding that transforms the historic building into an ‘urban artefact’.
Neri&Hu, the Shanghai-based studio behind the astonishing transformation, said “the teahouse internalises a piece of distinct heritage at a time when rapid new development has eroded traditional culture and identity.”
The structure, now known as The Relic Shelter, Fuzhou Tea House, was originally relocated from Jiangnan, and now includes a tea lounge, a bunch of private and public lounges, bars, and event spaces. The interiors feature earth-toned concrete, copper, and plastic to create a feeling of peacefulness and rest.
Placed on a rammed-concrete podium, the shelter has been equipped with a distinctive, eye catching copper-clad roof. The hovering metal roof is lifted 50 cm off the solid base by copper-clad trusses to introduce a sliver of continuous illumination around its periphery.
Once you enter the building, you are welcomed by a circular lobby, followed by offices, a wine, and a tea cellar, which leads to a sunken garden at the back.
“Sky wells penetrate the roof, bringing natural light into the depths of the enclosure…only upon reading the mezzanine does the structural configuration of the building begin to reveal itself,” said the studio.
Detail: http://www.neriandhu.com/en/works/the-relic-shelter-fuzhou-tea-house