Public vote winner for hospitality project of the year: The Relic Shelter, Fuzhou Teahouse in China was designed by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office to contain a historic structure within a new teahouse.

The project draws inspiration from imagery uniquely associated with Fuzhou: the Jinshan Temple, captured by British photographer John Thomson.

It creates an enclosure for a Chinese artefact – the wooden structure of a high-ranking Qing dynasty residence, replete with ornamental carvings and intricate joinery. Relocated from Jiangnan city to its new home in Fuzhou, the Hui-style structure is enshrined as the inhabitable centrepiece of a new teahouse.

It is elevated above a concrete base, with a sweeping copper roof to echo the roofline of the enclosed architectural relic. Visitors are presented with two images of the building upon approach: the upright silhouette of the form, and its mirrored reflection duplicated in the surrounding pool of water.

Architect: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Project: The Relic Shelter, Fuzhou Teahouse

Read more: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office