Arabi-An, unveiled at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, is a visionary project merging teahouses and furniture, uniting people through tea.

Building on their series of innovative prototypes, first showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale earlier this year, Arabi-an is the second iteration of Mitsubishi Jisho Design’s sustainable tea houses, or ‘an’ meaning ‘simple hut’ in Japanese.

Constructed based on the Miura method of Origami, Arabi-an is made from localized food waste, such as tea dregs and grapes to construct its structures, with sustainability and circularity at its core.

Arabi-an honours the art of tea as a symbol of human connection, fostering renewed intercultural dialogues in a world marked by divisions. A tea master will be present in Arabi-an at specific periods during Dubai Design Week to host tea ceremonies and encourage honest and intimate conversations with audiences.