Asahi Super Dry Restaurant Takeover

A full architectural transformation for Asahi’s first U.S. hospitality activation

Asahi Super Dry
Hell’s Kitchen, New York City · 2017

MODA Role

Creative Direction · Architectural Transformation · Hospitality Design · Production & Delivery
(Project conceived and delivered independently)

Context

In 2017, Asahi Super Dry undertook its first-ever hospitality-led brand activation in the United States—commissioning a complete restaurant takeover in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.

Rather than staging a temporary overlay, the goal was to fully reauthor an existing restaurant—transforming it into a cohesive Asahi environment that expressed the brand’s values through space, material, and atmosphere.

This project marked a significant moment for the brand: a shift toward immersive, experience-driven engagement within the U.S. market.

Scope & Contribution

MODA conceived and executed a comprehensive architectural and experiential transformation of the restaurant—treating the project as a temporary but fully realized interior.

The work included:

• Repainting and reworking the exterior façade to signal a complete identity shift

• Redesigning interior finishes and surfaces to align with Asahi’s visual language

• Replacing and reconfiguring lighting fixtures to establish a new spatial mood

• Designing and constructing branded architectural wall elements

• Selecting and integrating new furniture to support both brand expression and hospitality flow

• Managing fabrication, installation, and strike across all elements

The intervention extended well beyond graphics or décor—fundamentally altering how the space looked, felt, and functioned.

Design Intent

The transformation was guided by precision, restraint, and control—core attributes of the Asahi brand.

Rather than layering branding on top of an existing interior, the design sought to replace the restaurant’s identity entirely, creating a unified environment that felt intentional, contemporary, and distinctly Japanese in its discipline.

The result was a space that operated convincingly as both a restaurant and a brand environment—without compromising either.

Outcome

The takeover successfully introduced Asahi’s hospitality-led experiential strategy to the U.S. market, setting a precedent for future activations.

By fully transforming the architecture rather than decorating it, the project demonstrated how temporary environments can deliver lasting brand impact—establishing credibility through design rigor rather than spectacle.

Attribution

This project was developed and produced independently by MODA for Asahi Super Dry.