Iconic teahouse is a light show to cherish

Feng Jizhong took a minimalist approach to his design and connected these important sites via gateways, paths, squares and walls, allowing the elements to remain independent. Their coexistence creates a spatial balance that combines traditional Chinese garden art with modern architecture, Wang says.

The teahouse is located in a secluded corner of the park. Visitors have to walk along two brick arcades before reaching the front of the pavilion, which is a striking sight with its thickly thatched grass roof supported on slender bamboo poles. A natural material that has been used in Chinese architecture for thousands of years, bamboo is resilient and enduring if properly protected, Wang says.

Feng Jizhong painted all the nodes, where the bamboo connects, black, and had steel bases designed for each of the pillars, like shoes for feet, to protect the natural material from excessive humidity. Although the thatch has been changed every year, the main bamboo structure has survived over 30 years.

He envisaged the bamboo aging and eventually decaying and had his disciple Huang Yiru spend six months making an accurate model, so that the pavilion could be rebuilt when necessary.