BJORNBAR
A North Vancouver bakery
specialising in classic dessert bars.
After working as a pastry chef in Montreal, the owner of BjornBar Bakery decided to relocate back to her home of N. Vancouver to open a boutique bakery and café in Edgemont Village. She was able to get in on the ground floor of a development with residences above and commercial enterprises below in an area with significant pedestrian traffic.
She had a very specific vision for BjornBar Bakery. Working closely with her and the local firm MGBA Architecture, we were able to create the cozy, inviting, classic setting she imagined.
A Taste of Europe in Vancouver.
The concept of BjornBar Bakery was to recreate the experience of a traditional European-style bakery on the streets of Vancouver. To create that ambiance, we installed wood vinyl tiles on the floor along with applied mouldings and finished carpentry to enhance the walls. There is a comfortable couch on a rug in front of a fireplace, making the space especially warm and homey on cold winter days. The exposed pipes in the ceiling lend a touch of the industrial, but on the whole do not distract from that traditional look and feel.
A Hygge Space to Relax, Socialise,
and Enjoy Delicious Desserts and Coffee.
BjornBar Bakery is popular among the diverse population that lives, dines, and shops in Edgemont Village. In terms of demand, it could be a larger space. But the owner of the bakery opted for a small space in order to capture the cozy comfort of an enclosed, intimate environment, very much inline with the Norwegian concept of “hygge.” It is a design choice that fits well with the products and branding, and which customers enjoy.
Mercury’s main challenge from a construction standpoint was to find a way to incorporate the mechanical and electrical elements of the structure given its small footprint. The solutions we created are elegant and efficient, and have given us guidance for projects on a similar scale in the future.
As a staff, we love visiting BjornBar Bakery, both to appreciate the hard work of our team and the beautiful design by MGBA Architecture, and to enjoy indulging in coffee and gourmet dessert bars. It has become a favourite spot for many locals, and is one of our most beloved hangouts as a team as well.
