London Craft Week 2017

The Ministry of Culture, Taiwan invites Native & Co to design and curate a Taiwanese tea experience at London Craft Week 2017. Tasked with an open brief about Taiwanese tea culture, ‘Wu’: Five Oolong Teas from Taiwan is Native & Co’s creative response to showcasing the depth and variety of Taiwanese oolong tea.

伍  The 'Wu' Concept

‘Wu’ (‘伍’, five in Mandarin) aims to present Taiwanese tea culture as part of a modern lifestyle by exploring new ways of brewing oolong. The theme of ‘Wu’ explores contemporary Taiwanese tea culture, presenting five shades of oolong sourced across five regions of Taiwan.

Renowned for its high altitude oolong tea, Taiwan’s natural climate of high mountains and warm pacific air provide ideal conditions for the growth of tea. Over the last two centuries, Taiwanese tea farmers have developed unique varieties of oolong tailored to the local environment.

The Design of the Exhibition

The theme of ‘Wu’ has been carried through the design of the exhibition, informing the visual language and use of the space. The tea bar is designed to accommodate only five guests at a time, preserving the intimate nature of a tea session. Its structure recalls the theme with a subtle overlapping design based on five grids. The use of white space, warm timbers, and traditional tea ware offers a modern and minimal presentation with a Taiwanese flair.

For ‘Wu’, Native & Co presents a selection of five classic oolongs, including light and fragrant teas from northern Taiwan, rich and robust teas from central Taiwan, and a classic high mountain oolong. The teas are served in traditional dry and wet brews as well as modern interpretations of experiencing tea.