Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designed a pavilion for the traditional tea ceremony on the deck of a tower in vancouver, Canada, while his work was exhibited across the road. Mr. Kuma's teahouse is installed on the 19th floor of Shaw Tower, the Shaw Shaw Tower, on a terrace that overlooks the city's downtown area and the bay.

The interior space is Kengo Kuma's vision of a modern teahouse, typically minimalist. It has sliding walls and low ceilings and shoji screens covered in Japanese paper. The teahouse embodies the philosophy of the tea ceremony, is an iconic representative of Japanese culture, and is closely combined with the metaphysical concept of "being". This is a tea space, a meditation space, and a space that represents the "ma" of architecture. A better name might be what the Japanese call "ma". The concept can be described as the emptiness, void or even silence of space. In its built environment, "ma" refers to the size of the space between the internal structural columns. The layout is deliberately designed to contain white space. The traditional Japanese teahouse is a good example. No frills, just pure minimalism.