IN WHAT IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST CURIOUS— AND DEFINITELY THE COOLEST—JUXTAPOSITIONS IN VANCOUVER, a little-known private tea house is perched
EMA PETER
on the 19th floor of the Shaw Tower in Coal Harbour. The 320-square-foot refuge, completed in late 2016, was designed by legendary Japanese architect Kengo Kuma as a marketing venue for a new Alberni Street residential development upon which he’s collaborating with Westbank and Peterson Group. Since the mid-15th century, the tea house has been an integral symbol of Japanese culture. Figurative and literal temples of tranquility, they employ intentionally simple and rustic building materials. Kuma’s design stays true to traditional tea house vernacular but gives it a subtle modern spin, using steel, glass, and local Douglas fir instead of the customary Japanese cedar. Whereas typical tea houses exclusively use shoji screens to separate the interior from the outside world, Kuma deploys strategic glazing that offers views of the surrounding mountains and water. And instead of a sunken hearth, used for heat in the cold months, radiant heating lies beneath handmade tatami mats. This one-room gem in the sky eventually will become a private retreat for an adjoining residence, a serene sanctuary in an increasingly busy city. h
OPPOSITE: Appearing to float above a rock landscape by Toko Garden Design, this Kengo Kuma–designed tea house cuts a humble yet wondrous profile on top of Vancouver’s Shaw Tower. THIS PAGE: The shelter, built by Hart + Tipton Construction, doubles as a marketing venue for Alberni by Kengo Kuma, the Japanese architect’s first major tower in North America. Breaking from traditional tea house design, floor-to-ceiling glazing offers breathtaking views.
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