PU SU CHA XU

'Pu Su' Teatime is a tea space located in Shangyu, Shaoxing, that features a design that incorporates lighting and curved surfaces. By utilizing Chinese landscaping techniques, the space aims to showcase the idea of 'Pu Su', the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The space offers a Buddhist mood amid a modern downtown, allowing customers to engage in a dialogue with the world, life, and self while enjoying tea and achieving peace of mind that transcends the mundane world.

The concept of 'Pu Su' originates from Zhuangzi's Tiandao Chapter, which emphasizes simplicity and plainness as the most beautiful qualities. 'Pu', which refers to the first phase of uncut jade, translates to "returning to the origin," giving the name "Pu Su" its meaning. The space is divided into three floors, with the designer introducing nature's most simplistic and authentic existence - light - through curved surfaces. The borrow-landscaping technique is employed to progress the light gradually, full of changes. In the morning, the light enters through the third-floor windows, passes through the third-floor view wall, the second-floor staircase, and the first-floor view wall, and finally introduces the tea table in the middle of the first floor, achieving integrity and harmony. Soft artificial light sources illuminate the curve of the wall without losing the sense of sophistication. Moreover, the light film at the bottom of the first-floor staircase creates a sense of levitation, and the three-level wave surface of the third-floor box is designed without a main light, together with the staircase handrail light source connecting the first and third floors, all of which reflect the designer's understanding and expression of light.

The designer also incorporates many Eastern elements to showcase the beauty of Zen. The cool-coloured matte flooring and straw-painted walls offer a natural texture, while bamboo paper lamps provide a natural simplicity that reflects the essence of Eastern design. Additionally, historical and humanistic ornaments such as clay pots paired with flowers and plants add an aesthetics of wabi-sabi.