Shokin-Tei Teahouse
Katsura Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan
- Computer-generated imagery
by Henry Chang and Zachariah Kramer
Geometric Modeling (4.203), Fall 1999
SHOKIN-TEI TEAHOUSE
Shokin-tei the oldest and largest of the four tea pavilions at Katsura Palace, an imperial villa located in Kyoto, Japan. The palace was built under the guidance of Prince Noritada, in the mid 17th century.
Shokin-tei ("Pine-Lute Pavillion") is located on the shady, inactive side of the Katsura Palace complex. The teahouse plan is a square with each side slightly larger than ten meters. It is delineated according to the classic "eight windows" composition, a design favored by the famous tea master Kobori Enshu.
The program is primarily characterized by a dual spatial quality consisting of a grand parlour intendend for lively entertainments, including poetry reading and music appreciation, and a restful tearoom of rustic simplicity, allowing for more contemplative activities such as moon viewing. Other programatic elements include an austere tokonoma (shrine room) and domestic spaces for the servicing of tea ceremonies.
Shokin-tei is a wood frame building of post-and-beam construction, with a hipped and gabled thatched roof over the parlour, a wood-shingle roof over the tea ceremony room, and a tile roof over the domestic spaces. The exterior is fashioned in the style of a minka, a rustic residence of the common people. It stands in contrast to a more disciplined interior, characterized by elegant detailing and a rigorous proportioning system based on tatami mats.
The building is sited across the main pond so as to command an overall view of the Katsura gardens. Owing to its ideal location and its size, Shokin-tei is the principle structure in the garden, and endures as the most highly ranked teahouse in the villa.
