Press Release
Xiyuan Teahouse Hospitality Space by Cao Sun Receives the Silver A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Cao Sun recognized for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 19, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Xiyuan Teahouse Hospitality Space by Cao Sun, designed for Nova Space Design, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Xiyuan Teahouse Hospitality Space
Xiyuan Teahouse is a teahouse interior located beside West Lake in Hangzhou, China. The 1500 square meter space includes an elevated central tea platform, eight private rooms, a sculptural bronze staircase with inlaid greenwood railings, and a water feature integrated with the landscape. Handcrafted wood veneers and light toned plaster walls are used throughout. Custom framed windows open views toward the lake. A loop circulation path guides guests slowly through the rooms. The design reinterprets traditional Eastern aesthetics for a modern hospitality setting.
About Cao Sun
Sun Cao is an experienced designer from China, part of a new generation of creative professionals who draw on the ideas and methods of predecessors while embracing experimental approaches to innovate and explore spatial design. With expertise spanning architectural design, interior design, installation design, and product design, he brings a unique perspective to his practice, focusing on exploring the intricate relationships between culture, functional needs, space, objects, and people.
Award Record
This recognition makes Cao Sun a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/174659
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/174659
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!174659
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/370645
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Xiyuan Teahouse Hospitality Space
- Function
- Hospitality Space
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dark Olive Green, Dim Gray and Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Nova Space Design
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Cao Sun
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #174659
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographer Zhang jianing, Xiyuan Teahouse, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This project reinterprets Oriental aesthetics through modern spatial language, blending symbolic elements, nature inspired materials, and layered spatial planning. Located by West Lake, it integrates landscape, function, and narrative to provide guests with a serene, immersive cultural experience. Its sculptural staircase, window-framed views, and poetic detailing create a unique sense of ritual and emotional resonance.
- Inspiration
- The design was inspired by the century old heritage of the Wang Yutai Tea House and the refined literati lifestyle of West Lake's past. From the "West Lake Moon Gatherings" to the tranquil tea rituals, the project revives cultural memories through spatial storytelling, aiming to reconnect modern life with traditional Eastern ideals of beauty, balance, and contemplation.
- Research
- Design research began with site analysis and historical study of Wang Yutai Tea House and literati traditions. Methodology included archival review, interviews, and spatial simulations. Participants included hotel operators, historians, and tea masters. Insights informed symbolic design, spatial zoning, and sensory elements. Results strengthened cultural resonance and guest engagement.
- Challenge
- The core challenge lay in reinterpreting traditional Eastern aesthetics in a modern hospitality context without resorting to pastiche. Balancing symbolic depth with operational needs, integrating natural and built landscapes, and addressing tourist engagement within a historically significant setting required careful design logic and cultural sensitivity.
- Realization and Technology
- The teahouse features handcrafted wood veneers, bronze clad spiral stairs with inlaid greenwood railings, artisanal light toned plaster walls, and custom crystal acrylic tea sculptures. Spatial planning follows a loop circulation strategy, optimizing lake views and operational efficiency while reinforcing the natural and cultural dialogue of the interior.
- Operation and Interaction
- The design encourages slow paced, reflective engagement. Visitors enter through a symbolic gateway and follow a circular path that reveals lake views, private rooms, and shared tea platforms. Seating and height variations allow layered interaction with the scenery. The flow fosters both intimacy and openness, enhancing spiritual and sensory experiences.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in January 2024 in Hangzhou, China and finished in October 2024.
- Specifications
- Total built area: 1500 square meters. Key spatial components include an elevated central tea platform, eight distinctive private rooms, a sculptural bronze staircase, and a landscape integrated water feature. Window systems are custom framed to optimize views and natural lighting. Materials are chosen to enhance symbolic and sensory experience.
- Keywords
- Oriental Aesthetics, West Lake, Tea Culture, Immersive Space, Cultural Memory, Landscape Integration, Bronze Staircase, Handcrafted Materials, Poetic Space, Spiritual Retreat
