The Tea Pavilion at the Slow Food Nation Taste Hall is conceived of as a filter for experience.  Five sheer fabric enclosed Tea Pods remove the visitor from the activity of the larger event.  These tasting chambers offer a more intimate taste experience and allow visitors to focus on the cup in their hand, the nuances of the brew, the discussion with an expert.   Tea experts steep and pour 2 to 3 pots of tea per group, teaching through discussion over a 15 minute session: the emphasis on the leaf, its source and variety and the best methods of steeping.

The pavilion design is framed by an ethic of reuse.  Scaffold, folding tables are all rented items that  will continue to be reused long after this event.  The sheer voile fabric will be donated to the CCA Fashion Design Department for use by their students.  The purchased, inexpensive bucket stools at the tea tables are being donated to a children's community garden.  Purchased materials are either sustainable in their production or will be repurposed as building materials.  More finely constructed elements - the tea tables - will be reused for future events.

Curators
Alice Cravens + Greg Dunham, Modern Tea

Donors

Sponsor:
Heath Ceramics - small Plaza cup in linen by Heath Ceramics 

Tea (In Kind Donors):
David Lee Hoffman
James Labe
James Norwood Pratt
Adagio Teas
Lu Yu Tea Co.
Numi Tea
Perennial Tea Room
Red Circle Tea
Rishi Tea
Silk Road Teas
Teance
Urasenke Foundation

Equipment and Wares (In Kind Donors):
Bunn-O-Matic
Imperial Tea Court
MEM Tea Imports
Modern Tea
The Water Store

Pavilion (In Kind Donors):
Kartell
Levi Strauss & Company
Mende Design
Sun Woodworks
Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co.
Zinc Details

All images © Cesar Rubio

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Slow Food Nation

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