Basao's Shanghai Tea Shop Borrows From Rockbund's Old Buildings

A new flagship tea shop and cafe for Basao in central Shanghai takes its cues from the old buildings around it. Architect Keiji Ashizawa designed the space, which Dezeen reported on 23 October 2026.

The store sits in Rockbund, a part of central Shanghai full of historic architecture. The surrounding district was part of a restoration by David Chipperfield Architects. Basao's shop is small, at 108 square metres, and it has two parts: a retail area for buying tea and a cafe section where visitors can sit and drink it.

The ceiling is one of the most noticeable features. Keiji Ashizawa Design added vaulted steel elements, curved shapes that echo the arches and repeated details found in Rockbund's older buildings.

The walls tell a different story. In the retail area, the earthen walls are inspired by rammed-earth buildings, a traditional method of packing soil into forms to build solid walls. That style is common in Fujian Province, in southeast China, and it points back to Basao's roots in Xiamen, a city in the same province.

The floors divide the two zones. Brick covers the shop area, while the cafe has wooden flooring. The contrast gives each part of the store its own feel without a wall between them.

Basao has also worked with the design brand &Tradition on an event called Shared Moments at Rockbund. A social media post from the company described the collaboration. Dao Insights has also noted that the Rockbund store was recently renovated.

For shoppers and tea drinkers, the practical result is a compact place to buy tea and sit down with it, set inside one of Shanghai's older districts. The design asks visitors to notice the buildings around them, and the store's own ceiling and walls are built to do the same.