LOCATION: Glendale, California
SIZE: 540 SF
BDG SERVICES: Architecture, Interiors
COLLABORATORS: Toshi Kawabata of Barrban Woodworks, Kaz Okuda
CLIENTS: Friends of Shoseian, The Japan Foundation, City of Glendale
PROGRAM: Interior renovation of a traditional Japanese teahouse situated within Brand Park
Shoseian Teahouse
The traditional teahouse was built in 1974 through the combined efforts of the Sister Cities of Glendale and Higashi-Osaka, Japan. It is one of the few traditional Japanese Teahouses open to the public in the United States. The Teahouse represents the spirit of goodwill, lasting peace and friendship between the people of Japan and the United States.
Given the name "Shoseian" or "Whispering Pine Teahouse" by the Fifteenth Grand Tea Master of the Urasenke School of Tea in Japan, the Teahouse is designated an official Tearoom.
The renovation was approached to honor the original architecture while refreshing the dated and worn interior. Numerous species of wood were hand-constructed to create traditional finishes throughout. Custom fixtures were also installed, while the original tokobashira – the main post in the tearoom – remained in its authentic and unfinished beauty. BDG’s Principal, Ginna Claire Nguyen, designed a layout that blended the traditional ceremony requirements with the needs for the Teahouse to also serve as a demonstration space, requiring a unique blend of facilities, flow, and lots of hidden storage.
The Teahouse, which was originally designed by architect Hayahiko Takase, is a unique blending of western and eastern design and an apt expression of the spirit of cross-cultural community. Through recent cooperative efforts by the City of Glendale and Friends of Shoseian, the Teahouse was refurbished and established as a Landmark Building by the Glendale Historical Society.
Nestled at the foot of the Verdugo Mountains beside a koi pond in a charming Japanese-style garden setting, the Teahouse is in a unique position to outreach to the community of Glendale and greater Los Angeles.
