sunaba's zen, nature-infused japanese tearoom fosters sense of spirituality in urban tokyo

sunaba completes japanese tearoom in central tokyo

Miyabi by Sunaba is a versatile, spiritual sanctuary celebrating the ancient Japanese tea ceremony in the heart of urban Tokyo, Japan. Located along a bustling intersection in a modern complex, the traditional tearoom has been created as a serene and intimate space that can naturally switch from hosting everyday commercial activities to Japanese traditions, both environmentally and spiritually.

Bringing the calming effects of nature into the urban context, the architects create a quiet space shrouded in a zen ambience achieved by a sequence of spatial movements defined by nature, warm light, and historic Japanese design elements. ‘The aim is to create a space where visitors can immerse themselves in an extraordinary experience through a series of movements and spatial developments,’ note the team at Sunaba.

Koma — small tearoom | all images by Koji Tsuchiya & Juan Carlos Pinto

Bringing calming effects of nature into the urban context

Recalling the traditional tea ceremony’s Shichu no Sankyo, Sunaba brings the calming effects of nature to the urban context through a small tea garden. The narrow Roji path, lined with small rocks and dark wooden paneling, greets the visitor as they leave the bustle of the city and enter the space. Engulfing them with a contemplative ambience enhanced by the warm wooden interiors and stone lined paths, it leads them to the tearoom further inside. As the visitor moves through the dimly lit space, a soft natural glow shines through corrugates glass, enveloping and spiritually ‘purifying’ them.

Inside Miyabi, the spatial arrangement unfolds to surround the core sacred Koma space with a Mizuya warehouse and Roji, ensuring a dark and quiet space for the ceremony space. Further ensuring the tearoom’s privacy, the architects inserted a screen of 100 mm thick corrugated glass in front of the condominium’s large glass wall facade, attenuating sound and light and maintaining a sense of serenity.

Nijiriguchi — crawl-through doorway

Sunaba creates a quiet, intimate space for the traditional Japanese tea ceremony

Hiroma — large tea room

the multifunctional space can easily transform to host commercial activity

the Roji garden naturally transitions from the bustling exterior to quiet, inner ceremony spaces

Subana devises a spatial sequence of light to guide the visitor through Miyabi

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MIZUYA / preparation room

 

 

 

project info:

name: Miyabi tea room 

location: Tokyo, Japan

architecture: Sunaba + Wataru Ogino

construction: LINKS HORI Inc.

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom