Taking its name from de mer, which is French for ‘from the sea’, the interior of the newest DEMER café in Busan simply couldn’t have looked otherwise. The coffee parlour chain’s newest outpost, officially called DEMER Busan Station, is situated a stone’s throw away from Busan Station, the end station of the Gyeongbu high-speed train line which connects the port city with Seoul. The café is nestled in an area already rife with coffee parlours and eateries, but stands out from its bland surroundings thanks to the interior design by local design practice design by 83. The chosen aesthetic is an extrapolation of the interior design of DEMER‘s second branch, featuring a pristine white base, which is captured by mosaic tiles with a special paint finish on the café’s façade and at the entrance.
Inside, an understated setting pairs paint finishes, wood veneer, and epoxy terrazzo, creating a subtle layering and depth within a single tonal range. At the entrance, both the flooring and parts of the wall feature epoxy terrazzo and paint finishes in the same custom-mixed colour. This approach was intended to visually carry the flow of light and the sea into the space, evoking a sense of movement when navigating from outside to the core of the café. The coffee parlour’s protruding, all-white façade is adorned with DEMER‘s wave-inspired logo in neon light, while below, the glass entrance door features a handle crafted from a single piece of metal, offering a bold hint of the design indoors.
At the heart of DEMER café’s elongated premises is a rectangular service counter with a metal top, situated right below a an expansive Barrisol light box whose shape follows its contours. The counter’s front and side panels of the main bar which have been crafted by pairing acrylic with Jesmonite, and are also a nod to the sea. Lit both from the top and from below, the panels evoke motion of waves. On one side, in a recessed niche, a low cushioned bench lines the wall all the way to the back of the café where additional bar seating can be found, and a sturdy metal communal table, also paired with stools. The menu a DEMER café lists a wide variety of coffee concoctions, freshly made fruit juices, pastries, sandwiches and cookies. © superfuture
DEMER
6-1 Jungang-daero 180beon-gil
48822 Busan
Mon-Sat 7am-5.30pm
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