BASAO Teahouse Panji | Building Narrative

Urban Scale

The primary design objective was to design “a living room for the city.” As the teahouse is located on grade at the corner of a hermetic shopping mall facing a key intersection in central Xiamen, the first challenge was to break through the mall facade and connect the interior with the street. To this end, Building Narrative replaced the mirrored facade with clear glass and developed a palette of natural materials, warm lighting and furniture pieces to project a sense of hospitality and domesticity. Outdoor seating allows patrons to linger outside and reinforces the connection from the teahouse to a sunken terrace below and the city beyond.

Interior Scale

The interior layout is organized like a traditional Fujian courtyard house. The courtyard is the tallest space with tiled floor and lightbox ceiling that suggests an open sky. The lightbox is programmed to cast different intensities

of light from morning to night. Beneath the lightbox, visitors are free to adjust the loose chairs and tables as needed. A stone fountain anchors the courtyard experience with the sound of running water.

In contrast with the open courtyard, the tea lounge is an intimate and domestic space. Like one’s living room, you are invited to linger and sink into the custom designed armchairs. Kongfu tea is a style of tea drinking native to Fujian, and a bar dedicated to the tradition anchors the lounge. The Kongfu tea bar is sized to suit a single tea sommelier, who serves the potent brew in tasting cups over several rounds. The hand movements of the sommelier performing a Kongfu tea ceremony are rehearsed and foregrounded by the bar’s black slate counter – inducing a theatrical experience for the tea drinker. Through variying light, space and materials, a different atmosphere is creaeted between the courtyard and lounge.

Furniture Scale

In addition to the urban and interior scale, furniture plays a prominent role in defining the space at BASAO Panji.

Although oversized to be noticed from the street outside, the interior elements mimic what you may find at home, book shelves, kitchen island and cabinets, a large communal dining table and domestic furniture. There are no walls between the courtyard and lounge. Instead, the oversized furniture-like-objects define the spaces: framing the different activities as a series of ‘scenes’ to experience tea making and drinking. This became the key interior design strategy.

Like a living room in the heart of the city, BASAO Panji offers domestic comfort while staging local tea traditions for patrons today.

[CHI]

Urban Scale 城市环境肌理

BASAO 磐基茶室坐落于厦⻔市中⼼，⾯向喧闹不息的⼗字路街区，隐于商场拐⻆处⼀隅。设计师期望为商业氛 围的场地置⼊⼀个友好的 “城市客厅空间”，有效地连接茶室内部与城市街道。因此，Building Narrative重新设 置了购物中⼼的外⽴⾯，⽤透明玻璃取代了原有的镜⾯⽴⾯。与之呼应，设计师定制选⽤了遵循传统建筑建造 原理、充满天然质感的材料组合，以及投射温暖氛围感的照明系统板，将友好亲切、⾃然舒适的空间体验带给 每⼀位茶⽂化爱好者。室外区域则通过引⼊可供休憩、就餐的下沉式露台，增强了茶室内外传统建筑元素与城 市的连接。

Interior Scale 室内布局规划

室内以纵向布局，由外向⾥延展，取意向于传统的福建四合院，营造合院式居所体验。访客进⻔将会来到铺设 茶⼟花砖的中⼼庭院空间，天花板顶部的灯箱则如同古厝楼宇间的天井，灯箱的编程根据每天从早到晚不同的 时间段，投射不同强度的光源。天井之下，庭院之中，访客可以根据需要⾃由调整可移动的椅⼦和桌⼦组合， 感受如同居家⽣活中的惬意、⾃由之感。为庭院空间定制的⽯头喷泉，缓缓的流⽔声萦绕左右，加深了庭院饮 茶的感官体验。刻意降低地⾯的露台将庭院延伸⾄户外，实现庭院⾄街道的视觉通透性和建筑内外景观的渗透 性，流线型排列的绿植描绘出乐享阳光，林下庇荫⽽坐的闲适露台花园体验。 与庭院的开放形式不同，会客休息室更为静谧和沉浸式，这部分的空间配有⽺⽑地毯、⽊质内饰和吸⾳天花 板。设计师构想这⾥就像寻常⼈家的客厅⼀样，可以松弛地在精⼼挑选和定制的扶⼿椅和沙发中沏茶待客，度 过⼀段美好的时光。会客休息室内同时设有功夫茶品鉴区域，按照福建的习俗，茶艺⼤师⽤品鉴杯分多轮为不 同受众提供新沏的茶汤。在整个茶室的体验中，庭院和会客休息室的氛围和饮茶⽂化更为完整和层次化。

Furniture Scale 家具搭配呼应

在城市肌理和室内布局考虑之外，Building Narrative 为BASAO 磐基茶室定制了完整体现空间各分区功能和设 计语⾔的家具。通过透明的玻璃⽴⾯，来往的⾏⼈可以看到内部陈设的书架、餐室和橱柜，模拟⽇常居所中的 家居物件，通过适当地调整尺⼨，这些家具也成为界定空间分区动线的装置。空间的⼊⼝处也不设置任何⼀堵 墙，通透和流动之感也是合理规划茶室的关键设计策略。

Design team: Jeffrey Cheng, Jessica Yau, Kwan Chak Mathew Man, Mavis Liu, Sebastianus Virell, Zhencheng Leung

Photography: Wen Studio

Website: https://www.wenstudio.com.cn/