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AZ Awards 2026 Finalist in Interiors, Retail & Hospitality: Blue Bottle Coffee Café

Perched on the fourth floor and rooftop of a building nestled between Busan’s Suyeong River, the iconic Gwangan Bridge and the backdrop of Baek Mountain, Blue Bottle Coffee Café was conceived by Neri&Hu as both social hub and urban gateway. The design draws deeply from the traditional Korean hanok, specifically the maru, an open wooden-floored transitional space bridging inner and outer worlds. Reinterpreted columns reference classical hanok beams, rafters and overhanging eaves. A lantern-like staircase connects the fourth level to the rooftop, where a stepped terracotta terrace doubles as bleacher-like seating for the magnificent river-facing panorama. Coffee, culture and mountain views converge here seamlessly.

AZ Awards 2026 Finalist in Interiors, Retail & Hospitality: Blue Bottle Coffee Café

Team: Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu with Alfie Huang, Dakyung Hwang, Rosie Tseng, Lyuyuan Shen, Dong Lee, Zimeng Lin, Ath Supornchai, Ziyang Lin, Feiteng Feng, Greg Wu and Zoey Zhang

Award of Merit: Retail & Hospitality
Blue Bottle Coffee Café
A new café in Busan taps into traditional Korean architecture to create an urban getaway with views to a nearby mountain range.

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