Tea time

The architectural feat is in the grounds of the Shoren-in temple, and offers breathtaking views over Kyoto. Yoshioka’s design plays on the idea of temporality: in a glass pavilion, guests experience the passage of time through light. As it passes through the thick glass panels, light is refracted to create multi-coloured patterns that decorate the tea house’s interior. 

‘What I consider most important,’ says Yoshioka, ‘is to design time as it is created along with nature. In order to design time, our sensations need to be relieved of superficial designs, to be integrated with nature and to sense light itself.’

The Big Picture: Consumers are still on a quest for The New Sublimity. Consider how designers are creating transient spaces that allude to energies and spirituality using our Sublime Materiality design direction.