A small Canadian coffee chain shows its flower power

It just so happened that Low Tide Properties and PCI Group were developing the Great Northern Way Office and Pavilion on the border of Vancouver’s Strathcona and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods. And Nemesis, the team concluded, would be the perfect tenant for the retail pavilion. All that was needed was eye-catching architecture and design to draw people in and activate the area.

Low Tide Properties and PCI Group chose a Vancouver-based design team led by Rufina Wu, Yehia Madkour , and Ryan Bragg, who promptly imagined a circular café housed in a candy apple red upside-down “tulip.” They homed in on this particular flower because of its ability to attract bees, a metaphor for how the design aspired to become a hive of activity for the surrounding community.

But inside is where the designers made Nemesis Coffee an experience unlike any other. Long reflective fabric ribbons flow from the center of the ceiling, softly and rhythmically undulating as they cocoon the interior. Visitors might fancy themselves pollinators, buzzing around wispy filaments of a tulip’s stamen.

With a breeze on a spring day, or the gently flowing air from the building’s ventilation, the ribbons dance in unison, sinuously bending and waving as they diffuse light in a spectacular display. As a bonus, they help improve the café’s acoustics by absorbing sound. “It all reminds me of fluttering leaves you would see while sitting in a park on a breezy day,” says Rufina Wu, one of Nemesis’ lead designers. “It’s so calming and peaceful.”

Inside the flowering canopy is the heart and soul of Nemesis: its café. On one side are the order counter and kitchen. where mirrored surfaces play with the light and partially obscure the baristas and cooks. On the other side, a variety of seating options invite guests to rest and ample space beckons to host special events for large gatherings.

Indeed, Nemesis supports a wide range of programming—not just typical morning coffee runs. For example, a multicourse dinner is offered in the evening, along with occasional live music. The open, flexible interior accommodates it all.

It’s been two years since Nemesis Coffee opened, and since then it has transformed a quiet pedestrian artery into a bustling community hub. “It was important for us to have something iconic. People don’t generally know where Great Northern Way is, but now Nemesis attracts attention,” says Andrew Chang, president of Low Tide Properties.

“Our exposure has gotten so much better since it opened,” says Reno. “It has had a resounding positive impact on Nemesis and has expanded the possibilities for our future.”

“It’s definitely the heart of that area. It brings people in,” Wu says. Adds Reno: “It’s a testament to the power of a really great team creating an impact that can last. I love how everything in the design comes together. I think no matter what we do, this will be my favorite space of ours.”