Reviving the Tea Culture: Shiding Tea Ceremony Classroom

Minxuan Xie's Innovative Design Merges Tradition with Modernity

The Shiding Tea Ceremony classroom, located in a mountainside campus in Taipei, was inspired by the traditional Taiwanese tea-serving culture. In the past, this culture was a symbol of hospitality and virtue, with tea served to relieve the hardship of passersby. However, as society progressed, this spirit of giving was lost. Xie's design aims to revive this spirit by creating an open and connected space that encourages interaction and communication.

One of the unique features of Xie's design is the use of large windows to eliminate man-made barriers. This design element not only reflects the spatial ideology of the tea hospitality culture but also creates a sense of openness and connectivity between indoor and outdoor spaces. The classroom is no longer just a place for learning; it is a space for participants to physically and emotionally experience the quietness and completeness brought by the harmonious unity of tea, nature, and people.

The Shiding Tea Ceremony classroom was realized using a large glass and wooden platform to connect the landscape to the interior space. Bamboo was used as a ceiling material to bring natural elements into the space design. The classroom measures 18370mm in width, 9280mm in depth, and 4430mm in height.

Despite the challenges faced during the design process, including serious wall cancer problems and water leakage due to the wet and rainy environment, Xie and his team managed to transform the space successfully. They reorganized the built environment, kept one of the tea stoves and chimneys as memories of the past, and used wood materials to reflect the flavor of Japanese style and make a fusion with Taiwanese tea.

Through the Shiding Tea Ceremony classroom, Xie has demonstrated how design can be used to preserve cultural heritage and promote social interaction. This project serves as a testament to his innovative approach to design and his commitment to creating spaces that are not only functional but also meaningful and impactful.