It was only recently that Australia gave the Britishyet another lesson in cricket, now they’re givingthem a lesson in tea.
Landini Associates has again teamed up with iconic Australian tea brand,T2, to launch the company’s first international store in London. Situated in theheart of Shoreditch’s Redchurch Street, the space features a raw, stripedback interior that serves as an antidote to the polished slickness of traditionalBritish tea houses.Just like T2 itself, the design is dedicated to celebrating the centuries-old art ofmaking and drinking tea. A thirty-meter tea library, housing over 250 differentvarieties of tea, immerses customers in a knowledge bank of blends fromaround the globe. At the heart of the store tea-tasting stations and aromatables invite customers to stimulate their senses and taste, touch, smell andcompare the different ingredients and fragrances.
Transparent display counters made from layers of interwoven welded steelexpose the inner workings of the drawers - from pulls to brass pipes, fittingsand sinks. Brewing methods are demonstrated here amongst an extensivevariety of tea wares sourced from around the world.T2’s trademark orange packaging is offset by the industrial color palette, mostnoticeably the blackened, oxidized steel of the tea library. This metal interiorextends out onto Redchurch Street and envelopes the front of the store.
Whilst the dark and aromatic design brings a distinctly Melbourne feel toRedchurch street, this new flagship showcases an exciting evolution in T2’sstore designs. It marks the third successful collaboration between Landiniand T2 – following the complete redesign of the company’s Melbourneheadquarters and creation of their brew-bar concept last year - and precedesthe fourth: T2 NYC.