A Whimsical, Charred-Wood Teahouse Stands on Stilts in Germany
Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori’s latest teahouse creation floats among pine trees at the Museum Insel Hombroich.
Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori’s latest teahouse creation floats among pine trees at the Museum Insel Hombroich.
After a year of preparation, Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori and Germany’s Museum Insel Hombroich have unveiled the Ein Stein Tea House, a sculptural teahouse elevated three meters above the ground on untreated robinia (black locust) trunks.
Ein Stein Tea House is located at Museum Insel Hombroich in Neuss, Germany, on the grounds of a disused NATO missile base.
Hertha Hurnaus
Charred black from yakisugi—aka shou sugi ban—a Japanese technique for wood preservation, the modern teahouse combines elements of traditional Japanese culture with Neo-Dadaist sensibilities in an experimental style characterized by eccentricity and humor that has defined Fujimori’s best-known architectural work in the last three decades.
Terunobi Fujimori carbonized the wood on-site. The yakisugi method of charring wood helps protect the timber from rot and pests.
Stiftung Insel Hombroich
A narrow, 19-step metal staircase leads up to the teahouse.
Hertha Hurnaus
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Whimsical, Charred-Wood Teahouse Stands on Stilts in Germany
