This project involved the conversion of an approximately 25-year-old house facing the Kamo River near the Gojo Bridge in Kyoto into a teahouse.

In order to bring the client’s ideas to life, we minimized the intake of natural light by adjusting the opening to create an introverted space on the first floor to absorb oneself in the world of tea. For the second floor, we employed a completely opposite spatial use and opened up the space to the Kamo River flowing to the east and the Higashiyama area to make an attractive contrast by using the compactness of the building to its advantage.

All rooms share Japanese paper and plastering finish based on simple natural materials in common to prevent disruption of the consistent ambience while maintaining the independence of each room. We achieved a uniform look by gently connecting the details of the spatial design and the air, light and touch transmitted vertically by the stairs.

We are delighted if the experience of people visiting this place becomes something enduringly memorable as one and only “tea time”.