Shanghai Himalayas Centre Wuji Plaza Tearoom Design

Wuji Plaza is located at the indoor courtyard at 7F in Jumeirah Hotel. It is a glass-wall square space with a circle courtyard in the middle. It is a spectacular to stand there and look up to the sky. The courtyard is surrounded by the floor of fitness club of the hotel, including swimming pool, SPA, gym, etc. “Wuji” Tai Chi Club is situated here. Above there, the floors are all the guest rooms. Originally, there are high and low pavements and a steel - framed wooden pavilion, which was designed as a outdoor leisure space, mainly for appreciation and walking. Now, it is used as the outdoor site for Tai Chi Club, and the pavilion is the office area, tearoom and discussion space of the club. To install air-conditions for the comfort in summer and winter, the pavilion is rebuilt into a “house”, that is to enclose it with glass doors and glasses to preserve the view of the courtyard. This time, the steel-structured roof truss is modified, and solid wood is used to build a wooden architecture. The roof is made of thatch for heat preservation, and the soft thatch is in sharp contrast with the chilling of the 15-storey aluminum grille wall, which is naturally and artificially contrasted. In order to facilitate the practice of Tai Chi, most of the original high and low courtyard floors are covered with durable wood-plastic floor. The tunnel view is used to describe men without insight or who are narrow-minded. The 15-floor rounded courtyard is like a big patio. Standing inside of it, the view is not broad. However, when looking up the sky there, many feel like to be awakened or opened up in their horizon. In Chinese, the term “Shi Jie” (world) comes from the translation of Buddhist sculptures. “Shi” means time, and “Jie” means space. In Buddhism, time and space are considered to be infinite, which is in line with modern people’s perception. “Shi Jie” does not merely refer to our planet. In the vast universe, earth is just like a dust in air. In the boundless world, our understanding of it is also like a frog in the tunnel.