Vancouver-based Canadian studio Ste Marie has designed three distinct yet interconnected hospitality venues at the base of a residential tower in Edmonton, Alberta. The project, located at the Citizen on Jasper development in the city center, includes Va Caffè, a daytime coffee shop; Olia, a fine-dining Italian restaurant; and Mimi, an atmospheric lounge that hosts DJ sets and live jazz performances.
Chef Daniel Costa commissioned Ste Marie to create a series of community-focused spaces that would transform the building's street-level areas into a cultural destination for both residents and the general public. The design challenge involved seamlessly integrating the hospitality program within an existing building envelope while balancing public visibility with resident privacy and ensuring cohesive yet individualized guest experiences across all three venues.
Each venue features a unique material palette and atmosphere while remaining accessible from the street and internally connected to one another. Va Caffè, which serves coffee throughout the day, showcases a bright and airy design with hunter green hues, walnut paneling and furniture contrasted against white walls and beige tiles. Globe-shaped lights are mounted on mirrored walls to create the illusion of expanded space.
Olia, the day-to-night restaurant, features neutral decor with bespoke wooden benches and tables bathed in warm yellow lighting after dark. A sculptural host stand welcomes guests at the entrance, while glowing cube-shaped niches behind the bar display liquor and glassware. The restaurant's design emphasizes both daytime brightness and evening intimacy through its carefully planned lighting scheme.
Mimi lounge occupies the darkest space of the three venues, enveloped in rich tones of oxblood red and chocolate. The atmospheric lighting comes from a central row of light boxes that hover above tables, wrapped with patterned fabric on the sides. A long marble bar counter runs along one edge, while orange velvet-upholstered sofas and booths create intimate seating areas. Globe-shaped lamps affixed to mirrored wall panels enhance the sense of space.
According to Ste Marie, the project demonstrates how thoughtful hospitality design can activate underutilized space in car-centric cities. "By activating the underutilized base of a residential tower in a car-centric city, the project fosters walkability, catalyzes cultural life, and offers a replicable model for mixed-use urban development," the studio explained. "It proves that thoughtful hospitality design can anchor communities, and nourish them."
The Olia, Mimi & Va Caffe at Citizen on Jasper project has been shortlisted in the Restaurant Interior category for the 2025 Dezeen Awards. Other contenders for the award include Brass by Islyn Studio in New York City, 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 has established a reputation for creating distinctive hospitality venues throughout Canada, particularly in Vancouver. Previous projects include the Meo cocktail bar and restaurant, which drew inspiration from Hong Kong's "Love Motels," and the Flourist bakery and flour mill, decorated in what the studio describes as "malty hues." The photography for this Edmonton project was captured by Conrad Brown, showcasing the atmospheric lighting and material choices that define each venue's unique character.
