DEMER Busan Station Store / design by 83: A Light-Filled Coffee Destination in Busan

Located near the bustling transit hub of Busan Station in Busan, the DEMER Busan Station Store by design by 83 redefines contemporary coffee shop interior design through the poetic interpretation of light and sea. Completed in 2025, this 96 m² café interior builds upon the identity of DEMER COFFEE ROASTERS, transforming a dense office district into a warm urban refuge.

Strategically positioned in an area animated by office workers during the day yet strikingly quiet at night, the project began with a simple yet profound question: Can a space retain warmth even after everyone has left? This guiding concept shaped a design narrative centered on emotional light, material texture, and spatial continuity.

Concept: Translating the Sea into Architecture

The name “DEMER” originates from the French word meaning “of the sea.” Drawing from this maritime identity, the architects explored how oceanic imagery, particularly the behavior of light beneath water, could inform spatial experience. Rather than literal wave forms, the design interprets the sea through luminosity, reflection, and layered depth.

Soft, diffused lighting recalls sunlight filtering through water, while subtle surface textures evoke rippling tides. The space captures the emotional resonance of gazing at the ocean: longing, calmness, hope, and translates it into architectural atmosphere. This approach positions DEMER not simply as a café near Busan Station, but as a contemplative retreat within the urban fabric.

Exterior Design: Minimal Form, Maximum Identity

The façade adopts crisp white tones, maintaining brand consistency with the previous branch near the iconic 40 Stairs. Elongated rectangular mosaic tiles clad the exterior, their concave surfaces subtly reflecting light like the shimmering ocean surface.

The DEMER logo, inspired by wave imagery, is softly illuminated against the white façade, ensuring strong brand visibility while preserving minimal elegance. Linear massing replaces curves, deliberately allowing light to become the primary expressive element. The restrained geometry enhances the sense of calm while reinforcing a contemporary café aesthetic.

A thoughtfully designed flat metal entrance handle encourages intuitive interaction, refining even the smallest tactile experience. This attention to detail elevates the overall user journey from the moment of entry.

Interior Architecture: A Study in White, Texture, and Light

Inside, the coffee shop interior continues its monochromatic white base, enriched through layered materials:

• Custom paint finishes
• Wood veneer accents
• Epoxy terrazzo flooring with fluorescent chips
• Acrylic and Jesmonite bar cladding

Rather than relying on contrasting colors, the designers achieved depth through texture variation. The flooring at the entrance visually extends inward, blurring the boundary between exterior and interior, symbolically carrying the “flow of the sea” into the café.

At the heart of the space stands the main bar, crowned by a suspended Barrisol lighting fixture. This luminous installation mimics sunlight penetrating beneath ocean waters. Light radiates softly from both its underside and edges, naturally guiding visitors toward the barista station, the experiential core of the café.

The Main Bar: Where Light Becomes Experience

The bar counter embodies the project’s conceptual depth:

• Acrylic panels suggest water holding light within.
• Satin finishes create subtle depth and visual vibration.
• Metal detailing reinforces craftsmanship and barista professionalism.
• Jesmonite adds tactile solidity to the structure.

Light from the Barrisol fixture gently cascades across the counter’s surfaces, diffusing throughout the room. This layered illumination transforms from functional lighting into emotional ambiance, lingering even after customers depart.

The epoxy terrazzo floor, embedded with fluorescent chips, metaphorically “stores” warmth. Long after the daytime rush fades, the café continues to glow softly, maintaining presence within the quiet nighttime streetscape of Busan.

Urban Context and Spatial Strategy

Situated in a business-heavy district near Busan Station, DEMER Busan Station Store contributes to urban revitalization through hospitality design. During peak hours, it supports commuter flow; after sunset, it acts as a beacon of warmth in an otherwise still environment.

The straightforward spatial organization enhances circulation efficiency while preserving visual openness. The linear layout, combined with glass transparency, ensures spatial clarity within the compact 96 m² footprint.

Architecture That Holds Warmth

DEMER Busan Station Store demonstrates how small-scale commercial architecture can deliver powerful experiential impact. Through thoughtful lighting design, minimalist detailing, and material layering, design by 83 has crafted a contemporary café interior that transcends trend-driven aesthetics.

More than a coffee shop, DEMER is an architectural meditation on light, memory, and emotional warmth, proving that even in the quietest urban hours, a space can continue to breathe.

All the photographs are works of  Donggyu Kim