curved bridge corridor links two historic houses on chinese lakeside

Lakeside Teahouse’s design mirrors the serene Chinese landscape

Lakeside Teahouse by Domain Architects seamlessly connects two historic houses, dating back to the 1930s, with a delicate curved bridge corridor. Adjacent to Nanbei Lake in China, the project transforms the original structure into a unique teahouse and tourist rest area. Positioned in front of a hill, the teahouse overlooks the lake, offering guests a unique experience that intertwines tradition and contemporary design. Retaining the original timber-frame structures, with minimal intervention, the architects aim to pay homage to local tradition while preserving a modern atmosphere. The scenic landscape, celebrated for traditional Chinese literati aesthetics, informs the design’s focal point, the elevated bridge corridor. Mirroring the essence of traditional Chinese landscape paintings, the corridor serves as both a passageway and a resting place, inviting visitors to engage with the unfolding views.

all images by ZHANG Chao

the elevated corridor curves around the existing structures

The corridor, delicately elevated and curving around the existing structures, provides a dynamic journey for guests. Its fully glazed lake-facing side enhances the picturesque views, while an array of steel posts and PC tubes on the hillside filters sunlight, creating captivating visual effects. This unconventional design, breaking the rhythm of load-bearing steel posts, contributes to a relaxed and casual atmosphere, deviating from traditional sequential layouts. To overcome the challenge of the ground eroded by a seasonal creek, the design team at Domain Architects integrates a shallow pond, forming a harmonious relationship with the surrounding elements, the path, the stone-slab bridge, the old houses, and the bamboo plants. The single-sided cantilever design of the bridge corridor maximizes lake views, creating a structurally challenging yet visually rewarding experience.

the project connects two historic houses with a curved bridge corridor

intricate play of light and shadows imprints on the passageway

the unconventional design of the rhythmic glass louvers contributes to a relaxed atmosphere

the elevated bridge corridor stands on a natural stone support

the single-sided cantilever design of the bridge corridor maximizes lake views

the project transforms the original structure into a unique teahouse and tourist rest area

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project info:

name: Lakeside Teahouse

architect: Domain Architects | @domain_architects

lead architect: Xu Xiaomeng
design team: Xu Xiaomeng, Hannah Wang

location: Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China

photography: ZHANG Chao

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom