Heytea DP3 - Hills Beyond: A New Era of Tea Drinking

AAN ARCHITECTS Redefine Social Spaces with Innovative Tea Shop Design

The Heytea DP3 - Hills Beyond is the third store in the Daydreaming Project series. The design concept, carried forward from the previous two stores, experiments with the way people gather and scatter in the shop. Unlike ordinary tea shops with dispersed seating, a long tea table running through the entire space enables customer aggregation. This innovative design feature is not only a functional element but also a representation of the 'hills' in traditional Chinese ink-and-wash paintings.

Creating the unique space involved the use of new materials to echo traditional elements. The flat silver-plated mirror panel used in the shop forms a complete succession of endlessly rising peaks, an oriental image of 'mounts beyond mounts.' The table structures, representing layered hills, divide tea drinkers into various sections while the white, curved, mountain-like ceiling above creates an immersive environment reminiscent of the renowned ancient painting, Spring Mountain and Auspicious Pines, by Fu Mi of Song Dynasty.

The technical specifications of the design were carefully considered to achieve the desired effect. The high, short depth space was mirrored to create continuity of the hill scenario and make the space appear larger. The ceiling was made from a curved aluminium panel, customized in the factory, and fitted with an LED light strip, creating a dome space that gives the impression of drinking tea under a mountain. The table, made from engineered stone, was designed to generate different distances and user groups, while the customized terrazzo floor, embedded with different sizes of jade stone, balances the atmosphere of the space.

The design process involved extensive research on the impact of distance on communication. The aim was to explore new ways of social communication between people, particularly in the digital age where the internet has significantly influenced interpersonal relationships. The challenge was to balance the need for modernity and tradition, exploring new ways of communication while creating a scenario for drinking Chinese tea that encourages reflection on tradition.

Heytea DP3 - Hills Beyond was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2019. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.