Brewing borders

The project explores tea and coffee spaces as cultural mechanisms shaping interaction, movement, and discourse. Through the analysis of historical typologies—from caravanserais and teahouses to urban cafés—a spatial system connecting trade, knowledge, and community is revealed. Tea culture represents flow and transition between cultures, while coffee culture reflects gathering, dialogue, and the formation of intellectual institutions. The design translates these ideas into a continuous urban path from the train station to the water tower, composed of shifting nodes and spaces. Along the route, elements from both cultures create a spatial experience oscillating between openness and enclosure, forming an urban environment that fosters connections between people, ideas, and traditions.