Sorry Not Sorry Bakeshop
Design and development
Year completed: 2023
Location: Busan, Korea
Typology: Bakery and cafe
Lot size: 887m² | 9,548 sf
Gross Floor Area: 881m² | 9,483 sf
Floor Area Ratio: 99.3%
Building Height: 11.52m | 37.8 ft
Located near the active fishing docks of Busan, this site was originally a neglected, steeply sloped lot used for storing fishing equipment.
Acting as both architect and developer, I saw an opportunity to transform this overlooked, narrow parcel into a viable commercial space.
Acting as both architect and developer, I saw an opportunity to transform this overlooked, narrow parcel into a viable commercial space.
The steep topography and complex local zoning required extensive negotiation during the site work and permitting phases. Rather than erasing the site’s history, the design intent was to embrace the industrial context of the working docks.
Today, the completed bakery and cafe serves as an active community anchor, bringing new foot traffic to a historic maritime neighborhood.
Today, the completed bakery and cafe serves as an active community anchor, bringing new foot traffic to a historic maritime neighborhood.
Balancing design quality with economic efficiency was critical to the pro forma. A steel frame clad with sandwich panels was chosen over traditional cast-in-place concrete.
This material palette significantly reduced construction costs while naturally aligning with the area's utilitarian, industrial aesthetic.
This material palette significantly reduced construction costs while naturally aligning with the area's utilitarian, industrial aesthetic.
The architecture acts as a framing device. The contemporary structure contrasts with its surroundings, offering unobstructed views of the active fishing port, Busan's evolving skyline, and the nearby bridge.
It is a pragmatic, modern insertion into a site defined by its history and industry.
It is a pragmatic, modern insertion into a site defined by its history and industry.
