"Moreover, this makes the building appear to float just above the ground," says Zeidler.
The open design means daylight pours into the building. This reduces the contrast between inside and outside lighting conditions, and allows for maximum external awareness.
The long, thin shape of the building evolved mainly from the restrictions of the site. The visitor centre is situated in the midst of a working tea plantation, so it had to fit in around the existing facilities.
"The building has been designed to allow cutouts in the structure. This meant we could avoid cutting down existing trees or demolishing other important site features," says Zeidler.
Back-of-house support facilities such as the kitchen, store rooms and toilets are expressed as solid cubes, the corners of which jut into the main building, interrupting its linear form.
The narrow design of the building also works in a very practical way. Visitors begin by looking at the view. They then progress down the building, past the exhibition and retail spaces, and when reaching the end of the visitor centre, they can continue straight on to a tour of the tea processing factory.
The building is constructed mainly from steel, concrete, bamboo and timber materials chosen partly to keep building costs low. The natural materials blend with the surrounding environment, while the steel and concrete offer a stark contrast.