Design After Dark: Six Global Nightclubs
An enforced dress code is common practice at nightclubs and other hotspots open until the wee hours, so it’s only natural that these venues be equally stylish. Check out six recent openings that caught our eye around the world.
1. Firm: Rockwell Group
Project: TAO Downtown, New York
Standout: Located beneath The Maritime Hotel, this cavernous lounge and restaurant suggests an archeological dig replete with two 16-foot Buddhas, a 24-armed Quan Yin shrine resting above a koi pond, mixed-media murals, and a grand staircase leading to the dining area.
2. Firm: Mister Important Design
Project: Hard Rock Hotel bar and lounge, Palm Springs, California
Standout: In a nod to the chain’s rock ‘n’ roll roots, “Open Cube” is an interactive sculpture by German artist Benoit Malbrauy of 500 vintage speakers stacked haphazardly and hardwired for sound and Bluetooth capability.
3. Firm: José Carlos Cruz Arquitecto
Project: INSTALAÇÃO, Porto, Portugal
Standout: Because of its narrow footprint, architects employed concrete, brass, polished aluminum, and lighting fixtures to help magnify the 2,690-square-foot space, making it appear larger.
4. Firm: ICRAVE
Project: SL Miami (inside the James/Royal Miami), Miami
Standout: This horseshoe-shaped, ultra-luxe lounge gives a nod to its sister property located in NYC’s Meatpacking District with a sleek urban vibe thanks to blacklit x-ray panels and a “Feature Wall” that pulsates and changes color with the music.
5. Firms: LW Design Group; Archgroup
Project: VIP Room (inside the JW Marriott Marquis), Dubai
Standout: Located inside the tallest hotel in the world, this two-story, 11,500-square-foot “superclub” boasts extravagant touches like LCD screens and a rotating DJ booth.
6. Firms: Estudio Guto Requena; Mauricio Arruda Arquitetos
Project: Club Disco, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Standout: After raising the ceiling over the dance floor revealed concrete beams and pipes, designers contrasted the exposure with traditional Brazilian materials, such as ceramic tiles, as well as black leather furnishings, acrylic, and LED lighting that travels throughout the space.
