Design studio creates ‘floating’ tearoom over roots of sentimental tree in Osaka garden

The studio concluded that the easiest solution would be to cut the tree down, however this would mean erasing a part of the family’s history and making major alterations to the arrangement of the garden. Henceforth, Facet Studio adapted the design to leave the tree root unaffected. In the first glance it appears that the tearoom is built on top of the platform; however in reality, there is a big hole in the platform over the tree root, above which the tearoom floats.




Australia and Japan-based Facet Studio have completed a simple, stylish tearoom in the garden of an Osaka house. As the landing of the external stair which connects ground and first levels, a stone platform of 2.5m x 9m is designed to take advantage of the best natural sun access, and the residing family consequently requested for a tearoom to be built there. The challenge presented to designers, Facet Studio was that the desired location also hosts an old tree which bears the name of the family.

Furthermore, interlocking 100mm x 100mm solid pine square sections form a deep beam to structurally span over the big hole, which not only bears the role of structure, but also the skin of the tearoom and its finishing material. The effort in protecting the symbol of the family ultimately intertwines with the spirit of ‘balance’, which is embedded in the culture of tearoom.

Related Posts by Categories

Widget by Scrapur