Top Tea The Glen reimagines the traditional beverage kiosk as an immersive and joyful pop-up experience. Located in The Glen Shopping Centre, the design reflects the brand’s mission to fuse cultures and create connection through playful, flavour-forward tea.
Faced with a compact and nondescript lot, the brief was clear: inject vibrancy and character into a confined space. The result is a bold, spatial concept built on a duality — separating the layout into two distinct zones: The Playground and The Lab. The Playground is a freeform, interactive space where patrons can gather, perch, and enjoy their drinks; the Lab is the controlled environment where the tea is crafted and served.
This separation is expressed through contrasting palettes — a minimal, monochrome backdrop sets the stage for bursts of electric green that reflect the brand’s youthful energy. Oversized, recycled plastic tubes, reminiscent of drinking straws, act as both seating and sculptural furniture, creating a sense of whimsy and urban play.
A monolithic metal frame marks the entry — a bold gateway that draws the eye and anchors the shopfront within the retail concourse. Inside, animated light projections move across the side walls, while curved ceiling forms and mirrored surfaces expand the volume and add dimension to the narrow tenancy.
Signage graphics are subtly embedded throughout the design as hidden “Easter eggs”, reinforcing the brand’s character and adding delight at every turn. With a modest budget and tight program, the fit-out challenges the conventions of high-turnover beverage retail — transforming a generic lot into a small-scale public place that encourages pause, interaction, and play.
Top Tea The Glen speaks to the future of retail environments: bold, memorable, and rooted in the idea that good design — like good tea — brings people together.