Kengo Kuma's Oribe Tea House (2005) is a remarkable fusion of tradition and experimentation, a temporary mobile pavilion inspired by the deformed tea bowls of Furuta Oribe, a 16th-century tea master.
The installation, built using 5mm-thick corrugated plastic boards and banding bands, evokes the aesthetic sensibilities of Zen with its minimalist structure. Once disassembled, the space becomes a collection of humble materials, emphasizing the ephemerality and mobility of the design, a subtle homage to the fleeting nature of traditional tea ceremonies.
What distinguishes this tea house is its collaborative process, executed by architecture students from Syracuse and Ascoli Piceno, under Kuma's guidance. Using alveolar polycarbonate, the pavilion is constructed from 93 ribs, creating a cocoon-like space where light filters through the material, giving the structure a luminous quality. The project not only tests the limits of material technology but also reflects a deep inquiry into the relationship between structure, light, and the meditative qualities of space, connecting contemporary design with ancient rituals.
