Small Victory’s fourth outpost in Vancouver’s Olympic Village neighborhood, is the primary space for the company’s baking production. The material palette has evolved, once again taking queues from both the brands existing story and from the inherent qualities and context of the new store. One of the foremost goals with the design at Yukon was to offer visitors opportunities to see the baking process. Rather than locate the ovens in the back of house, they are prominent and fully visible from the street, the entry vestibule and the pastry display area. Another unique aspect of the design is the flour mill which is located on the mezzanine level within an explosion proof glass box that hovers above the cafe area.
The custom suspended metal ceiling installation at Yukon is another collaboration with local metal designer and workshop @newformat. We revisited the process of coffee immersion employed at the Brentwood location but this time introducing aluminum for its lightness and tonal resemblance to stainless steel. Besides being quite beautiful the ceiling serves several purposes: it serves as a shade that filters and bends light above it; it provides intimacy by lowering the ceiling height over the dining room and defining that space within the space at large: and it acts as a kind of beacon to the street, catching the eyes of passersby and illuminating the bakery on dark, early mornings.
At Yukon the material palette shifted away from brass and towards stainless steel. Putting large parts of the industrial baking facility on display meant that stainless steel would have a major presence in the space and we made the decision to embrace that. The fronts of the pastry display cases, POS and coffee bar are clad in satin stainless steel panels fabricated and installed by @newformat. The panels are secured to the millwork behind using exposed flush rivets. The stainless is bent at the top of the panel so that it extends onto the countertop where it meets the stone, providing extra durability and protection at the vulnerable corner condition.
