moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of tea rooms under the stars, a cluster of tea rooms offering a view of the surrounding scenery and the starlit sky as a teahouse connecting people to the stars and nature located in the town of bisei, okayama prefecture, japan, known as a sanctuary for stargazing. the site is surrounded by rolling hills and distant mountains and offers a view of a spectacular landscape.

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
tea room in the fog

 

 

moriyuki ochiai architects’s pieces are able to host a variety of events held throughout the year by the astronomy club and the tea ceremony club as well as a performance stage for concerts and plays. named after two rivers running through it, the town of bisei (jap. ‘beautiful stars’) is found in okayama prefecture which is also known for being the birthplace of eisai, a japanese buddhist priest, credited with introducing green tea to japan. in alignment with its heritage, the constellation of tea rooms is also in harmony with the surrounding undulating terrain, thus creating a landscape in which the indoor and outdoor expand seamlessly like the flow of a river under the milky way.

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
a cluster of tea rooms offering a view of the surrounding scenery and the starlit sky

 

 

the japanese tea room was developed as an enclosed microcosm called ‘enclosure’, and as such, each unit is designed as a spatial installation where one can perceive minute changes in its natural surroundings and experience the wonder and mystery of natural phenomena. meanwhile, mirrors placed on the exterior walls reflect the ever-changing outdoor environment like the water surface of rice paddies scattered across bisei, thus modifying the look and perception of the constructions throughout the day.

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
the constellation of tea rooms is also in harmony with the surrounding undulating terrain

 

 

visitors can experience the project as a galaxy of tea rooms built independently as they move in and around them freely. the outdoor space, taken as the space comprised between the tea rooms, the surrounding nature and the starry sky are beautifully intertwined to form a new landscape that comes in and out of view through the openings and gaps cut out from the multiple structures. the loose gathering of tea rooms forms an extension of the landscape and creates an environment enhancing the fun and joy derived from human activities. by merging together this newly formed belt of tea rooms with the idyllic hills, mountains and starry skies of bisei, the studio sought to realize a tea house that reshapes the town’s panorama.

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
creating a landscape in which the indoor and outdoor expand seamlessly like the flow of a river under the Milky Way.

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
a cluster of tea rooms

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
the loose gathering of tea rooms forms an extension of the landscape and creates an environment enhancing the fun and joy derived from human activities

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
tea ceremony 

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
tea ceremony 

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
tea ceremony 

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
the open arrangement of the structures forms a stageconducivee to various events and activities by creating a space where multiple indoor and outdoor activities become possible

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
visitors can experience the project as a galaxy of tea rooms built independently as they move in and around them freely

 

moriyuki ochiai architects sets a constellation of stargazing tea rooms in bisei, japan
the surrounding nature and the starry sky are beautifully intertwined to form a new landscape that comes in and out of view through the openings and gaps cut out from the multiple structures

 

project info:

 

design firm: moriyuki ochiai architects

team: moriyuki ochiai, jillian lei, xingguang li, marie uno, haruka amano, yuta takahashi

use: teahouse

location: bisei-okayama and awajiiland, japan

client: irbisei, nijigennomori/pasona group

constructor: takei construction, ca leading (osami hiroyama, masakazu hirose, yoshiko makabe, kazuya okuno, sanae iwamoto), soken group

special paint: osamu yamaguchi

paint: masanao uchida lighting: color kinetics japan (masaki yamashita, koki yano, miyahara yusuke)

sound system: yoshiyuki kanamori

videography: kazuma goto, noriko nishiguchi, shinichi hisamatsu, hajime kishii

tea ceremony set: nanzan ito,kenyu mitsuhashi,yuko nakano

tea ceremony: fumiko miyake , fujimi ishikawa

cooperator: norihiro ariyoshi (soken group), yoshinori takedo (grop)

photo: fumio araki

completion: january 2018

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: maria erman | designboom