Mister Ice Cream in Vancouver by Scott & Scott Architects.

Mister Ice Cream by Scott & Scott Architects | Yellowtrace

After experiencing the ice cream-making method in Asia and inspired to bring the liquid nitrogen process to their home town, Michael Lai and Tommy Choi engaged Scott & Scott Architects to design ‘Mister’, the newest ice cream sore in Vancouver. At Mister, the ice cream is made fresh to order with liquid nitrogen freezing the ingredients rapidly, resulting in a denser, smoother and creamier scoop.

The shop is situated on the elevated loading dock of a 1912 warehouse loft conversion in the centrally located Yaletown district. Scott & Scott Architects designed the space in a manner which acknowledges the history of the building and celebrates the process of making the ice cream.

The space was stripped of earlier tenants embellishments, the existing concrete slab ground, the brickwork white washed and painted with a thick gloss paint in the area of production. Materials were selected and treated in a manner which is durable and consistent with the application of their use. The working island was fabricated with plate steel and dip galvanised as a single element to support the protective glasswork and counter. The island is detailed in a manner that contains the heavy chilled mist and then allows it to vent. “We often associate the galvanised finish with memories of cold from childhood and that experience of sticking your tongue to the steel guard on a ski lift.” The soapstone counter used for the food preparation area was sourced from a quarry in Quebec. Soapstone was historically used in laboratories and is well suited to the potential thermal shock that may occur from the -196C nitrogen.

Functional storage was consolidated into a linear douglas fir plywood cabinet block which, along with the architect designed moulded leather, steel and timber stools, was finished in their studio using layers of spray mist applied dye. The resulting faded coloured finish is in concert with the room’s foggy, churning ice cream atmosphere.