A former dojo on Queen Street East was converted into a modern upscale restaurant and lounge by dp.Ai. Economical use of materials and careful detailing allowed the construction to be completed for a very low budget. The main room features a 40 foot concrete bar, and a backlit DJ booth on axis with the entrance. Windows to the street offer glimpses of the silhouetted DJ at the far end of the lounge. SOMA opened in March 2007 to an overwhelming response and received many accolades in the Toronto press.

In fact, the building hadn’t been upgraded since 1902 and had to be completely gutted to create Soma. Previously a martial arts studio, it had no plumbing and even had an asphalt floor, making it a bit of an indoor driveway. However, despite many people’s disbelief and a year of transformation, Soma’s owners built a restaurant and lounge from scratch and have unveiled one of the city’s most stunning new lounges, designed with the building’s history in mind.

An original “secret passageway” at the side of the room was restored and is now used for service staff, so you’ll never see a parade of dirty dishes or encounter what would have been congestion by the washrooms and kitchen doors. The exposed brick behind the concrete bar is the building’s original, and any bricks removed during construction were saved to use on the exterior of the building. 

But as old as its history may be, the new definitely comes out with the rest of the place. A sleek, modern lounge area sits in the front, with comfy black leather couches and ottomans, and tables line the back for either drinkers or diners. Most of Soma’s décor is black, grey and white except for the occasional screaming yellow wall.