Tokyo Saiken Teahouse by Tamaki Design Studio
This is a renovation project in which a house built over 50 years ago in Tianmu, was reborn as a teahouse on the first floor and a gallery on the second floor.
The concept is "multicultural expression of Japanese “WA”.
The client, a Taiwanese who had lived in Japan for a long time, returned to Taiwan with the hope of creating a place that could connect Japan and Taiwan, and since there are many Westerners living in Tianmu, he wanted to incorporate Western elements into the project as well.
First of all, the façade is based on bricks that remind us of good old Taiwan, and the design that emphasizes lattices and tiles reminds us of good old Japan. For the interior, the walls are reconstructed in a Japanese style using stained glass, which is said to have been born in Europe and reached its peak in the U.S..
The counter is made of the columbage (wooden structure) that was common in medieval Europe, and the back wall of the counter has a molding-like texture based on the motif of tea boxes. The furniture is selected from European and American brands.
A mixture of Taiwanese, Japanese, Western; a Japanese design creating from multicultural expression is realized in this project.
We think "multicultural expression of Japanese “WA” is similar to the atmosphere of Japan at the time of the adoption of Western culture in era of Meiji.
In those days, many new things came in from abroad, but there were still Japanese WA things. There were brick streets looks like abroad, but there were also Japanese buildings. There were people wearing suits, there were people wearing kimonos, there were a mixture of different cultures.
It's probably been a fast-paced day, with lots of things coming and going, but there must have been many dreams and hopes.
We hope this place will become like that.
Planning and Drawing
Designer Profile
Junpei & Iori Tamaki
Their studio was founded in 2013 by Junpei Tamaki (born in Japan in 1986) and later joined by Iori Tamaki (born in Taiwan in 1983) as partner in life and design.
Junpei & Iori Tamaki design not only furniture but also interior spaces that can go beyond people’s imagination.
They are always conscious of contrast when doing design, thinking at the same time about simplicity and complexity, individual and all, to make their design deeper and more attractive.
Their products are manufactured by international companies such as Cappellini, Ligneroset, Living Divani and Panasonic and they have been awarded as Young Japanese Design Talent by Elle Decoration Japan.