tea room by minax creates optical effects with lotus + bamboo

tea room by minax creates optical effects with lotus + bamboo
all images courtesy of minax

shanghai design studio minax has completed a project called ‘lotus & bamboo tea room’ for the 2014 china international aquilaria culture exposition & living space exhibition. the volume is composed of 500 bamboo pieces measuring six centimeters in diameter, which each have different heights. the organization of these vertical pipes follows the shape of an ellipsoid inside a cube. the shape is manipulated by spot lamps which fill the cut of stalks, so upon entry, visitors will find a substantial portion of the massing dissolved. thus, the remaining occupiable floor is negative space. 

the empty ellipsoid

the name of the work follows the theme that furnishes the room. the heart is established by a long table called ‘qushui’ (meaning winding creek in chinese). on top, wooden lotus blooms are layered with water flowing through intricately carved canals, thus making the centerpiece come to life. the combination of bamboo, wood, light, and tea form a multi-dimensional sense of place.

spot lamps fill the cuts of the bamboos 

furnishings follow the theme of ‘lotus’

incense inside the wooden lotus

the tea table 

(left) the lotus music player
(right) wooden lotus blooming on the tea table

from one side of the tea room 

a space in which you can meditate

plan

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.