Constructing connections between the ancient and modern, urban and natural, activating the closest spiritual link to consumers, ultimately realizing commercial value and cultural intent.
Project Name: JiShanYu · Tea Events
Studio Name: IN.X DESIGN
Project Location: Shanghai, China
Project Area: 538㎡
Design Team: Cheng Lu, Li Yan, Wu Qibiao, Jia Qifeng
Interior Furnishing: Song Jiangli, Ying Zhengguang
Furnishing Support: Back to the 20th Century
Lighting Support: Shike Lighting
Project Photography: Zheng Yan
After a gentle rain, the lush bamboo sways, dancing in the sunlight. Red fish swim, water cascades into the pond, and deep in the courtyard, one can hear the distant sound of boiling water. In this moment of tranquil clarity amidst the courtyard’s bustle, silence envelops all.
In January 2024, JiShanYu · Tea Events will welcome guests in Shanghai after seven months of design and construction. The IN.X space connects indoors and outdoors through the courtyard, creating a contemporary context where “people dwell among flora”—echoing the traditional imagery of tea, achieving a genuine Eastern lifestyle and exploring brand value.
“Exceptional teas flourish by the stream; the Wuyi immortal has cultivated them since ancient times.”
In the 500-kilometer stretch of the Wuyi Mountains, alongside black and yellow teas, the other four major Chinese tea types have played pivotal roles. Tea, straddling the boundaries of elegance and commonality, generates patterns of relationships between humanity and nature. It begins as a plant; Wuyi’s natural conditions favor tea cultivation, making tea synonymous with the mountain’s language. Despite cultural disruptions in Chinese history, the material foundation of tea endures, embodying a natural philosophy. Within diverse landscapes and cultural contexts, Chinese tea flows like a clear breeze, where both space and tea drinking become avenues for practice, and the immersive experience itself is joyful.
Ouyang Xiu’s line, “How deep is the courtyard? Willow smoke swirls, countless curtains sway,” captures the essence of Eastern courtyards. Beyond architectural constraints, courtyards embody the poetic essence of Chinese dwelling, reflecting the heart of heaven and earth.
In the Bay Valley Technology Park, JiShanYu enjoys a 158㎡ outdoor courtyard. The design leverages vertical height variations, creating imagery reminiscent of pavilions and islands, leading to hidden paths and wandering experiences. The courtyard’s scenery unfolds as one meanders—water’s edge with stones, hidden beneath bamboo, which veils the walls…
Guests enter the restaurant through an eastern door, ascending past steps, floating bridges, ponds, stones, and bamboo groves. The courtyard oscillates between vigor and tranquility, adapting to the wanderer’s mood—ever-changing, it serves as the prelude to the tea experience.
If one pauses for tea, entering the garden through narrow sliding doors, a wave of greenery and spring water welcomes, blending scents of tea with the evening breeze, creating a climactic experience. Seated by the spring, surrounded by mountains and waters, the emotions confined within narrow walls are liberated.
Transitioning from the courtyard to the interior embodies the interplay of yin and yang, mutually reflecting. Light subtly spills from the southern entrance, reminiscent of the imposing Wuyi Mountains’ natural barriers. Upon entering, the courtyard’s grand view condenses into a miniature landscape; the stone steps align, rugged rocks gleam, and bamboo stands elegantly, framing the scene.
In China, drinking tea signifies simple daily life, devoid of complexity. As the “Tea Classic” states, “Tea, when used, is best suited for the frugal and virtuous,” emphasizing simplicity—expressed through natural materials and layered textures.