native & co reimagines the taiwanese tea experience for london craft week

london-based design studio, native & co have long drawn creativity and tradition from taiwan. british-japanese chris yoshiro green and taiwan-born sharon jo-yun hung created a unique opportunity, working closely with the ministry of culture to discover five oolongs (chinese tea) individually paired with five clays native to taiwan.

as part of the london craft week 2017 in mayfair, native & co has presented its collection ‘wu’ which offers a new way of experiencing taiwanese tea by exploring contemporary brewing techniques for oolong. ‘good traditions, good tea and good design have long formed the ‘soft-power’ principles of taiwan. renowned for its high-altitude oolong tea, the country’s mountains and cool pacific air provide ideal conditions for growth. over the last two centuries, taiwanese tea farmers have developed many varieties of oolong, along with uniquely local methods of processing it’.

traditionally, taiwanese teas are brewed in small, unglazed clay teapots – and their porous nature has a beneficial factor in the flavoring. with proper use, the clay becomes seasoned by the tea and improves the taste with every brew. with the help of the ministry of culture, native & co hand selected five taiwanese clay teapots to match each of the five oolongs – creating a complement between natural aromas and flavors. 

the theme of ‘wu’ has been carried through into the design of the exhibition, informing the visual language and use of space. the tea bar is designed to accommodate only five guests at a time, preserving the intimate nature of a tea session. its structure recalls the theme with a subtle overlapping design based on five grids. the use of white space, warm timbers and traditional teaware offers modern and minimal presentation with a taiwanese flair.

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: lea zeitoun | designboom