Sip Tea Among the Clouds In This Nature-Forward Pavilion

Perhaps nothing is more intrinsic to Chinese culture than the tea ceremony. The ancient ritual symbolizing hospitality, respect, and harmony is believed to have begun during the seventh century. Today, Beijing-based Plat Asia has infused that tradition with a contemporary twist at the Cloud Tea Room, an amenity within the Huzhou Nature Valley Resort, a 33-acre destination surrounded by bamboo forests, tea fields, and mountains; about an hour west of Shanghai, Huzhou is said to be the origin of tea culture.

Compact at 100 square feet, the pavilionlike structure has an ethereal profile. Glass wraps the perimeter, tatami mats top the self-leveling concrete flooring, and white-painted steel panels form the roof. The latter is supported by a series of steel poles that begin in the tearoom supporting the roof, then meander out to the fields suggesting pathways for visitors to follow.

Of the 170 total poles, 100 of them are capped by a spray mechanism that produces a fog phenomenon that’s activated during tea ceremonies. “The architecture gradually disappears as the fog rolls in,” Plat Asia cofounder Jung Donghyun says, “severing all visual connection between our project and the outside world, creating a realm where only people and tea exist”—taking visitors on a temporary voyage to a simpler, centuries-ago experience.