THE URBAN TEAHOUSE AND THEATRE: CONTEMPLATION AND CULTURAL REVOLUTIONS

by Alcina Lo

The Urban Teahouse and Theatre introduces the Chinese cultural art forms of tea drinking and traditional opera performances. These primary activities approach the notion of contemplation very differently, but both are means of accessing the highest forms of pleasure and happiness. The architecture is composed of a series of interconnected spaces, key to which is the courtyard space that houses Bonsai and a Bodhi tree, both symbols of contemplation. The dramatic folded timber roof structure of the building is derived from the theatrical movements of the traditional martial arts form of Gong Fu. The visitors begin their journey with a tea ceremony that eventually concludes with a performance. However, unbeknownst to most, the idea of leisure portrayed by the theatrical performances and tea ceremonies conceals the revolution that challenges China’s censorship of unspoken history and hidden culture, constantly brewing in the basement.