archstudio's tea house occupies a renovated hutong in beijing

archstudio’s tea house occupies a renovated hutong in beijing
image © wang ning

in beijing, local practice archstudio has completed a tea house and café set within the city’s historic hutong district. the L-shaped neighborhood — which measures a total of 450 square meters — had previously been lying dormant, and was in need of major renovation work. before any new elements were added, the architects began by selectively repairing the existing structure — parts of which predate the qing dynasty. the careful restoration is sympathetic to the building’s historical appearance, with only essential modifications made.

the project is set within the beijing’s historic hutong district
image © wang ning

a narrow entranceway is the first in a series of architectural interventions designed to connect the site’s five existing structures. the most significant of which is a glazed corridor that weaves its way across the plot, bringing daylight into each area of the scheme. the winding pathway of the original courtyard helps delineate three tea houses with independent views, forming a transition from public to private space. strategically positioned voids are filled with green vegetation, introducing a sense of the natural landscape into the city’s densely packed urban fabric.

the L-shaped neighborhood was in need of major renovation work
image © wang ning

the project’s atypical location made its completion a delicate balance between historic preservation and contemporary reuse. without compromising the original building’s appearance or its architectural characteristics, the design team has created a fluid series of light-filled spaces that can be used by the local population throughout the calendar year.

a glazed corridor weaves its way across the plot
image © wang ning

carefully positioned voids bring daylight into each area of the scheme
image © wang ning

the winding pathway of the original courtyard helps delineate three individual tea houses
image © wang ning

green vegetation introduces a sense of nature within the city’s dense urban fabric
image © wang ning

the venue will also host dinner events and functions
image © wang ning

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.

edited by: philip stevens | designboom