Two tea houses were built in Taiwan at the request of the Asian Cultural Council, an organization that aims to support cultural exchange. The first is the Iri Chuan Pavilion, a 7,200-mm-tall teahouse built on giant bamboo poles, and the second is the Forget-Me-Not Tea Boat, a monocoque structure in which the outer panels themselves serve as strong components. The name "Irikawa-tei" is derived from the two characters "iri" and "kawa" (river) that can be read in the shape of the giant bamboo legs.

Asia | Taiwan

Shinkenchiku September 2010 issue 181P