KOU-AN Glass-Tea House

Tokujin Yoshioka’s transparent glass teahouse in Kyoto is an attempt to express regeneration of tradition by modern design but also to trace why the tea ceremony has been generated.

Japanese conception of nature is often characterized by its distinctive spacial perception that involves the sensory realization of the surrounding atmosphere through what may be described as signs of energies or aura.

Such way of sensual appreciation of nature’s intrinsic and beauties can be recognized in Japanese tea ceremony practice.

The transparent glass teahouse KOU-AN will enable us to recognize essences of nature and to blend with surroundings. By such experience, we may find the origin of Japanese culture that exists in our sensations, sensing the truth of nature.

Tokujin Yoshioka, KOU-AN Glass-Tea House, Kyoto, Japan. Photo © Yasutake Kondo

This project originates in the architecture plan of the Transparent Japanese House, first presented in 2002. The idea has been developed into a transparent teahouse, an architectural project incorporating a symbolic Japanese cultural image. The design of the project was presented at Glasstress 2011, the collateral event of the 54th La Biennale di Vennezia.

In the spring 2015, after five years from the presentation of the design, KOU-AN-Glass Teahouse is finally unveiled at the stage of Seiryu-den which is in a precinct of Tendai Sect Shoren-in Temple designated as one of National treasures in Japan.

What Yoshioka wanted to attempt to do through this project is not just to express regeneration of tradition and history by modern design but to think and trace why the tea ceremony, which is one of the Japanese culture symbol, has been generated.

Tokujin considers that the important thing for tracing the “origin” is to perceive the time that is created along with nature. The perception indicates to be released by superficial designs, to integrate with nature and to sense the light itself.

KOU-AN does not have a scroll nor flowers that are supposed to be provided in traditional tea houses. However, glitters that reminds of ripples on surface of water spreads out on the floor. Also, at some point in the afternoon, there will be a rainbow light coming through a prism glass on the roof, a flower of light that decorates the tea house.

Starting this project from such a historical place, Tokujin is planning a traveling exhibition all over the world with the aim of providing people new experiences through the project and by producing works that make us think of Japanese’ culture origins.