Rituals | Lobby & Tea Lounge

“Designed to express the duality between heritage and innovation, influenced by the themes of permanence and transition. Conceived like a luxurious “chaikhana” (the traditional Central Asian tea house) for modern nomads, the space is anchored by a central tea studio, where the various rituals of tea-making are enacted live.

The tea alter is an elevated theatre stage with a monolithic slab from where boiling water on tap is poured freely to rinse pots and infuse leaves. The contact of hot water and stone slab, creates plumes of steam reminiscent of early mountain fog on the slopes of tea plantations.

The tea alter is framed by four vertical glass cellars, rising from floor to ceiling, containing over one hundred jars of hand-picked tea leaves: white, green, oolong, pouerh, black, as well as local specialities such as mountain flowers and wild herbs. The colors for the fabrics and finishes is a direct composition of these various shades of plants and tea leaves, providing a simple, elegant and rich palette of sage, jade, teal, turquoise, chocolate and greens.

The public space of the JW Marriott Absheron have been enhanced with the aim to redefine the experience of a classic hotel lobby and lounge by immersing guests into an ancient narrative with a strong regional identity within a contemporary lifestyle.”

The Lux Pad