As a contemporary tea house, Pu’er Tribe draws inspiration from the ancient Tea Horse Road of Yunnan. BDSD Boundless Design merges the wild essence of traditional tribal culture with the context of modern urban life, creating a spiritual gathering place where tea serves as a medium to connect like-minded individuals.

The design takes cues from Pu'er tea culture, translating the philosophy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements—symbolized by the traditional tea cake weight of 357 grams—into spatial language. The ceiling is divided in a 3:7 golden ratio, forming an asymmetrical visual axis that guides circulation and clarifies spatial hierarchy. By integrating the composition principles of Eastern and Western aesthetics, such as one-point and three-point perspective, the design enhances visual tension and enriches spatial diversity.

The original two-story structure was reconfigured into three levels: the ground floor functions as a tea display and salon area, the second floor houses private rooms, and the third floor accommodates a VIP room and office. Staircases, acting as connecting elements, emulate the layered plank paths of Yunnan’s ancient trails. This design evokes the memory and sensation of journey, infusing a "kinetic" poetry into stillness, and creating an experience that balances enclosure and openness.

Materiality emphasizes natural textures and traces of time. Traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery, aged pine staircases, lightweight partitions, and straw-painted walls collectively build a rugged yet authentic atmosphere. Native elements like reeds, saddles, and raw stones are scattered throughout, narrating the legacy of the Tea Horse Road. Functional details—such as straw mats replacing curtains and display ladders doubling as tea-drying racks—ensure every element serves a purpose, returning to simplicity and authenticity.

A multi-sensory experience is carefully crafted: tea stems spread beneath the staircase release a subtle fragrance underfoot; rough-textured pottery teaware conveys the warmth of handcrafted touch; music featuring Yunnan dialects enhances immersive storytelling. Natural light shifts and unfolds with time, while dancing shadows draw attention to the essence of tea.

Pu’er Tribe is more than a tea-tasting venue—it is a contemporary reinterpretation of wild, rustic aesthetics. Rejecting ornate decoration, the design employs an honest and humble language to construct a spiritual sanctuary where people, tea, and space coexist in harmony. Within minimalism lies richness; within the city, one rediscover the breath of the wild.