The Best Coffee Shop in Canada
I never miss an opportunity to activate my sensory circuits, and as I was in the neighbourhood, I decided to pay a visit to a unique coffee shop called Nemesis Coffee. It was out of the way, but I had heard good things about this place.
To call the shop's design 'eye-catching' would be an understatement. It sports a bright red flower-like exterior that is a sight to behold.
I could only imagine the edible wonders within it. I was famished, so I looked forward to having a treat accompanied by a strong cup of coffee.
I spotted another large building nearby. Emily Carr university. Ah! That explains it, I thought. This institution focuses on art and design, so the location and design of the coffee shop made perfect sense. I enjoy solving mysteries that have not even crossed my mind.
I am not joking when I call this the best coffee shop in Canada. It was ranked 15 in the world and number 4 in the North & Central America region at CoffeeFestMadrid. No other Canadian shop ranked higher.
This is the kind of architectural design that makes my neurons pop. I entered the shop and saw that it was an open space buzzing with machine noises and chatter. The wooden ceiling was an impressive sight, carrying the flower petals theme, but given that there were too many people enjoying themselves, I did not take pictures of the interior.
I walked up to the counter and noticed that the food displays were empty.
"Sorry," one staff member told me, "we're all out of product today. Would you like some coffee?"
What? I was expecting to reach new realms of flavours and gustatory bliss that would have to be considered new states of consciousness. Instead, I looked at the empty displays with crumbs still on them. Massive bummer.
"No, thank you," I said.
"Okay, sorry."
Indeed.
The experience must be right, I had decided. I couldn't just sit there holding a bitter cup of coffee without any delicious nutrients. Not in a place like this. Wired and hungry is not the way to go through life, son, said the voice in my head. So, I decided to return another day. If I had known about the rankings then, perhaps this story would've had a more savoury ending. As it was, I just went home and brew myself a cup. 😑
Cool facts. This building is called the Red Pavillion, and it is made of laminated timber and aluminum cherry shingles. It was described as an "attractor" by one of the makers, designed to add vitality through computational, engineering, and architectural wizardry.
that's very pretty. I like the birch wood interior and the way they've created indirect light in the central space in the ceiling. The Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield, although square in design, also makes really good use of indirect light.
The only thing that struck me was about noise? Was it noisy? I wonder architects don't build in some sort of acoustic baffles in these buildings with no sound absorbent materials.
Shame about the comestibles. I admire your discipline 😍
It has an incredible interior, and I wanted to explore it carefully, but the lack of snacks threw me for a loop 😂. The open space concept carries the sound, so it makes the space highly energetic and buzzy. The clientele consists of many university students, so it's not a quiet place. The surrounding environment has a more relaxed campus-like atmosphere with gardens, benches, tables, and public art. I was there on a weekend, and the place looked busy, so I can only imagine what it's like during weekdays when classes are on.
It really does have a unique and beautiful design, and perhaps that’s because it’s right next to that building dedicated to coffee and design. But I have to say, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s just a shame you couldn’t enjoy your coffee with a sweet treat to make the experience complete and truly wonderful, but the building is incredible and I’m so glad you showed it to me! A big hug!🤗
I have picked this post on behalf of the @OurPick project! Check out our Reading Suggestions posts!
Please consider voting for our Liotes HIVE Witness. Thank you!
Emily Carr university is named after a famous Canadian artist, and the university focuses a lot on art and related fields. So, this building is a great addition to the campus. I thought it would be cool to be a student and have a nice space to hang out and think up ideas (with a delicious snack).
But you can have another go later!!! And show us all the lovely things there are to see there!
🍰 yes!
I really LOVE the design!
Not sure if I like the design of the design university. Though I can see why it is ok for a design uni to have designed and build their facilities. Perhaps one purpose, so the coffee shop building stands out even more 😉
The university building is more traditional looking, so this coffee shop definitely stands out. So colourful.
It is truly beautiful; besides, this is one of the countries I want to visit. Thanks for sharing, I see you have a delightful blog for lovers of architectural, design, and landscape photography, just like me 🤭
Thank you. I enjoy interesting design in natural and artificial settings. They have a great impact on us and our environment.