Upon entering the abandoned Disney Springs Bottling Co. warehouse, master chef Morimoto was inspired. Relics of the former bottling plant spoke to him: the light flowing through glass of leftover bottles, the endlessness of discarded conveyer belts, the exposed pipes and vents that snaked overhead. As Morimoto moved through the space, he envisioned these dormant artifacts of times gone by coming to life in a new form. The rich history of a forgotten factory, infused with Morimoto’s inimitable grasp of Japanese culture and cuisine, would come together to create: Morimoto Asia.

To complement the cuisine, the design and interior ambiance for Morimoto Asia welcomes, inspires, and excites. Guests enjoy a sensory experience: Seductive lighting highlights authentic architectural elements retained by STUDIO V, while a DJ pumps high-energy beats. With sky-high ceilings at thirty-six feet tall, airy open spaces, trans-level views, and uninterrupted flow between indoor and outdoor spaces, Morimoto Asia creates a grandiose oriental arena.

STUDIO V broke up the building’s heavy industrial façade with a triple-height wall of glass, flooding the interior with light and air. Draped in a flowing curtain, this wall is used as a screen for video projection at night, reflecting nebulous shadows of human movement and enlivening the space. Running the perimeter of the restaurant is the Long Bar, inspired by the original in Shanghai but reinterpreted here as the longest bar in the world. It flows through multiple levels, from the entry to upper levels and down the grand dining stair, around the bar and lounge and back to the front door. It leaps through the space with continuous curves and seemingly infinite sculptural form.