Announcing the FX Awards 2019 Winners!
Bar or Restaurant
Winner: Tingtai Teahouse by Linehouse
Image Credit: Dirk Weiblen Or Yann Song
Sponsored by ArmourCoat
In a former textile factory and art gallery in Shanghai’s Moganshan Road art district, the client, a tea enthusiast, sought to create a traditional Chinese teahouse with a modern aesthetic. The traditional teahouse consists of private rooms where friends socialise and enjoy the ritual of tea. Over a few hours they enjoy the preparation, fragrance, colour and varying flavours of the teas through each brewing.
The space was stripped back to its raw state, exposing the patina of the concrete structure and the old brick walls and ceiling. A mezzanine was removed to expose a double-height space with high-level clerestory windows.
A series of teahouses with shifting rooflines were inserted. The stacked teahouses are framed at either end with full-height glass, offering views and natural light from the windows above. The teahouses are clad in brushed, darkened stainless steel, emitting a blurred reflection of the surrounding existing space.
The teahouses rest on a green terrazzo landscape, which guests can inhabit via tables and recessed seating. Clad in smoked oak, the interiors are simple yet warm. The height of the glass horizon provides privacy at eye level within the teahouse, while still giving guests a sense of the activity beyond. The main space is used for events such as flower arranging or temporary art exhibitions.
A floating staircase takes guests from the street to the upper floor. Held by a fine metal green structure with white nougat terrazzo lining the walls and floors, these materials extend out into the street to create the teahouse facade.
The judges said:
‘Creates excitement for customers. Striking use of materials. Clever detailing’
Finalists & judges' comments
Quad House by ARCHISTRY Design & Research Office
‘Elegant and timeless interior’
Hey Yo Concept Store by Design Action & Associates
‘Lovely detailing in this diminutive, tasty powerhouse’
Growing of Things by Deve Build
‘Great atmospherics with minimum design approach’
John Anthony Bar by Linehouse
‘Historic references brought to life with contemporary appeal – eclectic yet cohesive’
Serpentine Coffee House by Mizzi Studio
‘Inventive and functional in equal measure’
Casa Pastor, Coal Drops Yard by Portview Fit-Out and others
‘A vibrant and inviting space’
Sibling Espresso Bar by Travis Walton Architecture
‘Clever use of lighting creates beautiful shadows adding ambiance to the minimalist interior’
Fortnum’s Bar and Restaurant at the Royal Exchange by Universal Design Studio
‘Sympathetic success; the elegant metalwork structure is perfectly modern within the listed architecture’
Haidilao Intellectual Hotpot by Vermilion Zhou Design Group
‘This concept is outstanding for its sheer inventiveness combined with its spirit of adventure’
NotAll Vegetarian Restaurant by Xupin Space Design
‘Showcases strong use in natural materials with a solid grounding in Chinese culture’
