Mbar Observations (Helsinki)

Insight 1: Physical context: Segmented space

Located below the Bio REX cinema, Mbar is the most relaxed and multi-functional space in Lasipalatsi. It’s an easy-going bar, nightlife hotspot and an Internet café all at the same time.

The façade has two entrances and tall windows that extend the whole length of the space. The space is a rectangular and is divided into four sections. The bar-counter is located in the middle of the space; it marks the boundary between the smoking and the non-smoking sections. The computer section along the front windows spanning all three sections. On the left of the counter, in the smoking section, is a dj-booth and behind it are the restrooms. In the smoking section people sit on a sofa that curves along the back-wall and on lounging chairs. The tables are round and small. In the non-smoking section there are sturdy wooden tables, benches and chairs. This section is more suitable for eating and working. The computers in the computer section are on counters of different heights that run along the front wall. The monitors face into the space, the users sitting at the computers can be seen from the outside. Users sit on chairs and bar stools depending on where along the counter they are. During the summers Mbar has a fifth section: the summer terrace. This is common ground for all Mbar clients. It gets packed in the evenings. The terrace is open till midnight and the rest of the bar closes around 2am.

There is always music playing in Mbar. When a dj is not spinning in the evenings, there is background music. Like in any bar it gets noisier and smokier as the evening progresses.

Insight 2: People and activities: Each section has its own crowd

The smoking section draws a clients who are 16-30 years old, dress in a trendy or bohemian clothes and are mainly Finnish. They are there to socialize or kill time. They usually arrive in the late afternoon and some stay until closing. On Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons this crowd comes to listen to the dj.

The non-smoking section draws an older crowd who comes for lunch or an afternoon snack after work. This crowd is also mostly Finnish. People who have come to do work also prefer to sit in this section.

The computer (Internet) section also has its own crowd mainly made up of foreigners and tourists, although I did see some teens as well. They are in Mbar to use the Internet and read e-mails while having a cup of coffee. Possibly, the reason why not many Finns rent the computers is because they know that next-door both Cable Book and Café REX offer free Internet computers. Moreover, many Finns have Internet access at home and/or at work. During my observations I did not notice a distinct peak time for computer use during a day or week.

Interestingly, immigrants who make up a big part of the clientele at Cable Book Library and Café REX do not come to Mbar.

Insight 3: Business: no business model for wi-fi

There are no signs in Mbar indicating that there is a free public wireless network. I knew that at the time the place used to be Meteor Bookshop it had a wireless network but wasn’t sure whether it was still available after it became Mbar. I decided to ask the barmaid before I tried my laptop. Her surprised answer to my question was "Yes we have… how did you know?"

There is probably a business reason why wi-fi is not promoted. Using the Internet computers costs 5? for half an hour. When I asked her about the costs of using wi-fi the barmaid somewhat embarrassed admitted that wi-fi use was free. She quickly added that she would charge someone if they sat and used it for some hours. I doubt she has ever charged a wi-fi user. Her reply made it obvious that these users posed somewhat of a concern; they take up space in the bar for long periods of time without consuming or paying. It seems Mbar has not figured out whether and how to charge for wi-fi.

If there is a danger that wi-fi cannibalizes some of the Internet access revenue or that users stay for hours without buying something then why does Mbar continue to provide free wi-fi? The answer probably lies in the history of the place: the network could be from the time of the Meteor bookstore. Both Cable Book Library and Café REX offer free wi-fi. Moreover, there are some regular users who have come to expect the service from Mbar.

Insight 4: Technology: Wi-fi users have their own protocols (set by themselves) for the place

When I asked the barmaid if she had noticed anyone using wi-fi she told me about two "regulars". One of the regulars the barmaid referred to is a man in his 50s and the other a man in his 30s. She pointed out that the older man likes to sit in the corners, in both the smoking and non-smoking sections. While the older man is there almost every-day, she told me the younger man comes only on the weekends. She did not know either of them by name.

Later during my observations I found out why the older laptop user, whom I had also seen sitting in the “storage area” of Café REX, likes to sit in the corners. His primary reason for choosing the corners in Mbar and the “storage area” in Café REX was access to power. These where the only places which had power-outlets. Secondarily these areas provided privacy that he needed to do his work but also to eat his own food.

On one occasion I observed the older man sit in Mbar for an hour with an empty coffee cup in front of him. After he returned from getting a fresh cup of coffee he started to dip his hand into his bag pulling out pieces of bread. He was cutting back on costs of staying in Mbar by bringing his own lunch/dinner with him.

On the same occasion I approached him to ask if I could interview him. He accepted and we set a date (see Interview 2: Harri, connected entrepreneur). I then returned to the sofa where I sat with my laptop. A little while afterwards he came to ask me if I could look after his laptop and things while he went to the bathroom. I assumed he trusted me because I had a laptop of my own and more importantly, I had just asked him for an interview. I realized that while it was preferable to sit by oneself when using a laptop in a cafe, having someone whom you could trust to look after your things when you took a break was a big bonus. This is a point Harri stressed in the interview.

Photos

Mbar entrance
Computers from outside
Terrace during the day
Wi-fi user
Non-smoking section
Internet access rates
Computer user
More computer users
DJ and view of smoking section
Terrace at night
View of computers at night
Smoking section
Base station
Smoking section from front