Location: Assam, India

B/U Area: 2,15,000 sq.ft.

Typology: Architectural Design

Project Status: Completed

The experiential Tea Centre is conceived as a sequential journey through tea. The project incorporates multiple immersive features that engage visitors with the process and culture of tea beyond dining.

The structure emerges gently from the undulating tea gardens, responding sensitively to the surrounding landscape. Its height was intentionally kept low to ensure that the building sits harmoniously within the tea estate rather than overpowering it. Indigenous materials and local craftsmanship played a central role in the design approach, with bamboo screens handcrafted by local artisans enveloping the structure and lending it a distinctive regional identity.

Keeping Assam’s heavy rainfall in mind, large roof overhangs were introduced to provide protection from the elements while enhancing the architectural expression of the building. A roof monitor was incorporated to draw natural light deep into the expansive interior spaces, creating a soft and diffused quality of light throughout the day. The expansive glazing creates a strong visual connection to the surrounding tea gardens, fostering a sense of openness and blurring the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors. Welcoming visitors to the Tea Centre is a sculptural tea-leaf-inspired entrance gate, establishing a strong visual connection to the landscape and legacy of the tea gardens.