The Mirrored Sight Shelter Viewing House, Tea House

The Mirrored Sight Shelter Viewing House, Tea House

The Mirrored Sight Shelter Viewing House, Tea House is an innovative architectural installation located along the Longxi River outside the old town of Longli in southeast Guizhou, China, designed by architects Li Hao and Nan Xueqian as a contemplative space that serves both as a viewing platform and a tea house. This Gold A' Design Award-winning structure embodies a profound narrative of cultural isolation and community resilience through its distinctive design, featuring a dual-material composition where the northern façade is covered in local bamboo wood while the southern façade employs single-transparent glass, creating a compelling interplay of reflection and transparency. The structure, measuring 4000mm in width, 1500mm in depth, and 6700mm in height, is strategically positioned to create a dialogue between the traditional town and its natural surroundings, incorporating significant feng shui elements through carefully framed views of the historic Longxi Bridge and Scholar Bridge. The two-floor design accommodates single occupancy, with the lower floor serving as a restful sanctuary and the upper floor featuring a pyramidal inner space that offers multiple vantage points across the landscape. The shelter's sophisticated use of materials and light creates an immersive experience where reality and reflection merge, transforming dramatically from day to night, when the structure appears to float above its own reflection in the water, embodying the metaphor of a lonely islet that resonates deeply with the local community's historical narrative.

architectural reflection, cultural preservation, vernacular design, sustainable architecture, contemplative space, traditional-modern fusion

— Adam Dawson