Canadian studio Ste Marie has created three interconnected yet distinct hospitality venues at the base of a residential tower in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Va Caffè daytime cafe, Olia fine-dining Italian restaurant and Mimi lounge were all designed by Ste Marie, with each providing a different culinary experience at the Citizen on Jasper development in the city centre.
Chef Daniel Costa commissioned the studio to imagine a series of community-focused spaces that would help to turn the building’s street-level areas into a cultural destination for both residents and the public.
“The challenge lay in seamlessly integrating this program within an existing building envelope, balancing public visibility with resident privacy, and ensuring cohesion and elevated guest experiences across the venues while preserving their individuality,” said Ste Marie.
The studio used a unique material palette in each space, which are all accessible from the street and connected to one another internally.
In the bright and airy Va Caffè, which serves coffee throughout the day, hunter green hues and walnut panelling and furniture are offset by white walls and beige tiles.
Day-to-night restaurant Olia features a neutral decor, including bespoke wooden benches and tables, which is bathed in warm yellow light after dark.
A sculptural host stand welcomes guests, while glowing cube-shaped niches display liquor and glassware behind the bar.
Finally, Mimi hosts DJ sets, arthouse film screenings and live jazz in a darker space enveloped in rich tones of oxblood red and chocolate.
The lounge is atmospherically illuminated by a central row of light boxes that hover above the tables and are wrapped around the sides with patterned fabric.
A long bar marble counter runs along one edge, while orange velvet-upholstered sofas and booths create intimate nooks on the other.
Globe-shaped lamps are affixed to mirrored wall panels, which create the illusion of extended space.
“By activating the underutilised base of a residential tower in a car-centric city, the project fosters walkability, catalyses cultural life, and offers a replicable model for mixed-use urban development,” said Ste Marie.
“It proves that thoughtful hospitality design can anchor communities, and nourish them.”
The Olia, Mimi & Va Caffè at Citizen on Jasper project is shortlisted in the Restaurant Interior category for the 2025 Dezeen Awards.
Other spaces vying for the award include Brass by Islyn Studio in NYC, Aigli Zappeiou by Neiheiser Argyros and Esé Studio in Athens, Scusa by Spacegram Studio in Lisbon and Onyx Æther by URBA and EJTECH in Budapest.
Ste Marie is based in Vancouver and has completed a variety of hospitality venues in its home city, as well as across Canada.
Examples range from the Meo cocktail bar and restaurant influenced by Hong Kong’s “Love Motels” to the Flourist bakery and flour mill decorated in “malty hues”.
The photography is by Conrad Brown.
