Kasa Moto: Award-Winning Hospitality Design in Toronto
How do you design one hospitality space to be both a quiet retreat and an energetic destination?
That was the brief for the transformation of Kasa Moto’s 430-square-metre rooftop bar and lounge in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. Completed in summer 2024, the project brought together DS Studio and Denizens of Design to reimagine the rooftop of the established Japanese Izakaya restaurant within an existing heritage building.
The rooftop needed to support two distinct experiences: a serene setting for daytime and business lunches and an energetic social destination in the evening. Drawing on the Japanese concept of Seijaku, or tranquillity, the design balances calm and energy while improving the rooftop’s functionality, circulation and overall guest experience.
A Rooftop with Two Personalities
The existing rooftop presented both design and technical challenges. The original bar occupied the centre of the floor plan, dividing the terrace and interrupting circulation between dining and lounge areas. Fixed back-of-house functions complicated the arrival experience, while the surrounding Yorkville towers made creating a sense of intimacy within the open rooftop another consideration.
The project also had to be completed within an accelerated four-month timeline to meet the summer patio season. During construction, unforeseen conditions required significant upgrades to the existing roof structure to support new loads, including a custom overhead pergola.
Reorganizing the Guest Journey
DS Studio acted as prime consultant, leading the architectural design strategy and coordinating the project’s mechanical, structural and fabrication consultants. Working closely with Denizens of Design, the team approached the architecture, interiors, operations and technical requirements as interconnected parts of the project.
One of the most significant interventions was relocating the bar from the centre of the floor plan toward the entrance. This created a more intuitive arrival, improved circulation and established the bar as the first major touchpoint for guests. Crowned in pink-veined Cosmopolitan Quartzite, it anchors the front of the terrace and visually balances the lounge at the rear.
A custom black-brick breeze wall creates a defined arrival beside the fixed back-of-house areas. Its Tetris-like masonry pattern transforms a functional requirement into a recognizable feature, while circular sconces beyond provide a soft welcome after dark.
Tokyo Meets Toronto
The completed rooftop uses architecture, material and light to create distinct dining and gathering conditions throughout the day.
A custom pergola responds to the grid of surrounding glass and steel towers while bringing that scale down to create more intimate spaces below. With limitations on overhead lighting, dimmable fixtures were integrated behind a charred perimeter valence and supplemented by portable table lamps, allowing the atmosphere to transition into the evening.
Japanese references are incorporated through material and craft rather than applied as a theme. Banquette seating draws from seating found on the Tokyo subway, while kiln-dried white oak references Japanese woodcraft. Shou Sugi Ban—the traditional Japanese technique of preserving wood through charring—is used throughout the rooftop. Japanese cypress sourced from Nakamoto Forestry is paired with Douglas fir and cedar to bring Japanese and local wood species together.
Despite the unexpected structural work, the project was completed on time and within budget for the summer 2024 season.
An Award-Winning Collaboration
Since completion, Kasa Moto has received recognition from design publications and industry organizations. Designlines Magazine featured the project in Inside Kasa Moto’s Stunning Rooftop Transformation, while Hospitality Design included it in 5 Rooftops to Visit Before Summer Ends in 2024.
In 2025, Kasa Moto received the Uncommon Ottawa Award for Best Collaboration, a Loop Design Award in the Interiors / Restaurants & Bars category, and an Interior Designers of Canada Value of Design Award for Innovation in Hospitality Design.
Hospitality Design, From Concept to Construction
Kasa Moto represents DS Studio’s approach to hospitality design: creating a strong guest experience while solving the operational and technical realities behind it. As prime consultant, DS Studio carried the project from design strategy through consultant coordination and construction completion.
The project brings together several areas of the studio’s expertise—hospitality design, existing-building renovation, integrated architecture and interiors, multidisciplinary coordination and accelerated project delivery—within a complex heritage setting.
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