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    Eight stylish nightclub interiors characterised by novel design approaches

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    For our latest lookbook, we’ve chosen eight nightclubs that utilise clever construction methods and aesthetic solutions to execute elevated interiors with grand fittings and lavish fixtures.

    The nightclub interiors, which range from an underground bunker in Beirut to a PVC inflatable in Geneva, spotlight ambitious designs that prioritise audiovisual quality and user experience through contemporary takes on accessibility and performance.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring gallery-like living rooms with sculptural furniture pieces and neutral-hued homes with herringbone flooring.
    Photo by Tommaso RivaKlymax, Indonesia, by OMA
    Located at the Potato Head resort in Seminyak, Bali, this sleek interior with teak veneer panelling was arranged around a 208-square-metre sprung dance floor.

    Architecture studio OMA implemented a floating DJ booth and speakers with thick concrete padding engineered to avoid rattling.
    Find out more about Klymax ›
    Photo by İeva SaudargaitėB018, Lebanon, by Bernard Khoury
    Beirut’s underground bunker nightclub B018 was given a complete overhaul in 2019, with architect Bernard Khoury replacing original wooden furniture with gothic stone booths and podiums.
    Referencing religious architecture and abattoirs, Khoury added a macabre row of skeletal metal rods hanging from the centre of the nightclub as lighting fixtures. Walls, floors, ceilings and furniture are all finished in stone.
    Find out more about B018 ›
    Photo by James GerdeSupernova, USA, by Mutuus Studio
    Set within a timber warehouse building, this inclusive art and entertainment space is arranged around a giant disco ball that contains the DJ booth.
    The hemispherical booth sits in the centre of a nine-metre-long stage and is accompanied by suspended audiovisual equipment and flashy diamond-patterned lighting arrangements.
    Find out more about Supernova ›
    Photo by Cody GuilfoylePublic Records, USA, by Shane David
    Musician Shane David turned a historic Brooklyn building into a “music driven social space” called the Sound Room. The interiors are dark and moody with perforated plywood panels cladding the walls for strong acoustics.
    Other sound engineering details include wooden walls that were cut on a CNC router, and a contoured ceiling meant to diffuse sound.
    Find out more about Public Records ›
    Photo by Tony Elieh2 Weeks, Lebanon, by Rabih Geha Architects
    Layers of perforated webbed black steel divide up the industrial interiors of this downtown Beirut nightclub, separating the main bar, DJ booth and seating area.
    Clubbers must walk around the outside of 2 Weeks’ container-like walls, informed by the shipping containers of its New Waterfront Area location, to enter via a gap in the steel partition.
    Find out more about 2 Weeks ›
    Photo by Dylan PerrenoudShelter, Switzerland, by Bureau A
    Commissioned by the Federation of Swiss Architects, this intimate inflatable nightclub is made out of black PVC membrane that can be easily deflated and transported due to its lightweight structure.
    Named Shelter, the building created by studio Bureau A contains a bar and a dance floor that contains an assortment of inflatable furniture including seating, tables and a DJ booth.
    Find out more about Shelter ›
    Photo by Pauline ShapiroSilencio NYC, USA, by Crosby Studios
    At Silencio NYC, gold accented metal panels, curvy built-in seating, rich-red velvet curtains and cinematic red lighting were designed to pay homage to the club’s original location in Paris, which was designed by director David Lynch.
    Mirrored walls create the illusion of extended space in the nightclub, which was also informed by Studio 54.
    Find out more about Silencio NYC ›
    Photo by Casey KelbaughThe Prada Double Club Miami, USA, by Carsten Höller
    Belgian artist Carsten Höller designed this Miami pop-up nightclub for fashion brand Prada, with opposing identities and aesthetics dictating both internal and external spaces.
    Contrary to the colourful neon aesthetic created for outside, the club’s entirely monochromatic interiors fed into unique grayscale approaches to lighting and furniture that honoured the glory of its former 1920s film studio location.
    Find out more about The Prada Double Club Miami ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring gallery-like living rooms with sculptural furniture pieces and neutral-hued homes with herringbone flooring.

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      Klymax nightclub by OMA was designed as a “sonic sweet spot”

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      Architecture studio OMA has collaborated with DJ Harvey on a nightclub at the Potato Head resort in Seminyak, Bali, where optimised acoustics and a sprung dance floor elevate the experience for partygoers.

      After completing the resort itself in 2020, OMA returned to work with the Potato Head Design Studio on the interiors for Klymax, which are acoustically treated to turn the entire dance floor into a “sonic sweet spot”.
      OMA has completed the Klymax nightclub in Bali’s Potato Head resortEnglish DJ Harvey Bassett, known as DJ Harvey, also contributed his knowledge gained from four decades of experience working in nightclubs.
      He aimed to distil “the most unique and significant elements of the world’s foremost parties and venues — past and present — into what he considers the most rewarding nightclub experience imaginable”, the design team explained.
      “At Klymax, the sound comes first,” the team continued. “It just so happens that when constructing a room to present the music in the best possible way, the design is visually appealing.”

      Built-in leather seats on one side of the dance floor match the warm brown tones of the wood panellingThe walls and ceilings of the club are panelled in teak veneer, perforated with over 2.6 million holes that help to “tame errant frequencies” by preventing the sound waves from reflecting and altering the audio.
      The panels are fitted on top of equally perforated plywood sheets and a layer of Rockwool insulation, creating a buffer in front of the 20-centimetre-thick concrete exterior walls.
      A disco ball measuring one metre in diameter hangs over the sprung dance floorA 208-square-metre sprung dance floor, similar to the one at London’s Ministry of Sound, is designed to reduce fatigue and stress on dancers’ joints.
      Also found in ballrooms and basketball courts, the technology comprises four layers of a wooden lattice structure with 50 millimetres of foam between each intersection.
      The speakers are mounted on concrete pads that absorb vibrationsKlymax’s audio engineer George Stavro worked with fellow engineer Richard Long, who was responsible for the sound at legendary Manhattan venues Studio 54 and Paradise Garage.
      “It’s a classic disco nightclub system based on a blueprint established in 1970s New York clubs,” the team said.

      OMA completes Potato Head Studios resort in Bali

      To absorb vibrations, the speakers sit on 11-centimetre-thick concrete padding that is also engineered to be separated from the sprung floor to avoid rattling.
      “Rich, finely poised and immaculately detailed, the system creates a vast sonic sweet spot, presenting the music exactly as it was intended to be heard with every nuance intact – perfectly pitched to optimise the audio experience,” said the team.
      Lighting was devised in collaboration with Tokyo’s Real Rock DesignA floating DJ booth is sound-isolated from the dance floor so that the music doesn’t bleed in, while a reflective pond on the Klymax roof also prevents noise from leaking through the roof.
      Lighting was devised in collaboration with Tokyo’s Real Rock Design, the same studio behind Japan’s Rainbow Disco Club festival.
      Staircases illuminated in red lead down to the dance floorA raised lounge area with leather seating is located on one side of the room, while a disco ball measuring one metre in diameter hangs from the ceiling in the centre.
      The club also has a “muted bar”, at which cocktails are served on tap to avoid the noise of shakers and bottles.
      The building has 20-centimetre-thick concrete exterior wallsThroughout May 2024, DJ Harvey will partake in a month-long artist residency at Potato Head, which will encompass several all-night sets at Klymax as well as a curated programme of movie screenings, surfing and mindfulness sessions.
      A line-up of international residents and DJs including HAAi, Dave Clarke, Sophie McAlister and Jonathan Kusuma is also planned for the nightclub.
      The club is accessed via a bunker-like entranceOMA completed the Potato Head Studios resort in 2020 as part of the Desa Potato Head village in Balinese beach town Seminyak.
      The firm has previously lent its expertise in nightclub design to a pop-up venue for fashion brand Miu Miu via its research arm AMO.  And in 2017, the studio revealed its design for a shapeshifting new venue for Ministry Of Sound, which won a competition in 2015 but was scrapped shortly after.
      The photography is by Tommaso Riva.

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      Klein Dytham Architecture gives Fender’s first flagship store a welcoming feel

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      Klein Dytham Architecture has aimed to counter rock music snobbery with its design for guitar brand Fender’s Tokyo flagship store, which is meant to feel welcoming to people who might feel judged in other guitar stores.

      The Fender store sits across the bottom four floors of the glass-walled Ice Cubes building, a 12,000-square-metre space in the neighbourhood of Harajuku that was formerly home to an H&M store.
      It is the world’s first flagship store for the 77-year-old American brand, which is one of the most recognisable names in guitars and is particularly known for electric models like the Stratocaster.
      The Fender flagship store is located in Harajuku, TokyoFor the project, Fender asked Klein Dytham Architecture to create a space that would counter the perception of guitar stores as being intimidating, particularly for women and newer players.
      It hoped the store would offer a sophisticated and immersive retail experience that would encourage leisurely browsing and communicate the brand’s heritage.

      Klein Dytham Architecture answered the brief with a store design it sees as creating “a destination of discovery”, with gallery exhibits, an event space, a cafe and a “care bar” for repairs.
      The main browsing area on the first floor features display stands made of curved woodThe first floor houses the main browsing area, which features undulating wood benches and display units that are meant to echo the curves and materials of a Fender guitar. These contours are further mimicked in the lighting above.
      The area also has custom plectrum-shaped tables where staff can place guitars they have removed from the display to show customers. Clothing racks holding the F is for Fender streetwear collection sit among the guitars.
      The second floor, which was realised in a soft grey palette, is primarily an exhibition space called the Artists Gallery.
      The second floor is the main gallery spaceHere, large-scale photos and video shows famous musicians in action, each one alongside a transparent display case housing their Fender of choice.
      There are also displays dedicated to Japanese- and American-designed Fenders respectively, and a sound-proofed Amp Room where customers can test run guitars and amps.

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      On the darker and moodier third floor, another exhibition space — the Master Builders Gallery — focuses on the work of specific craftspeople, while two VIP rooms and a custom shop are furnished with comfortable couches and provide a setting for discussing bespoke builds.
      Also on this floor is a colourful display of 400 guitar finish samples that fills the length of one wall.
      The third floor includes the Fender custom shopThe final floor is the basement, which houses an event space, cafe and the Fender care bar, and where Klein Dytham Architecture endeavoured to create a cosier feel with a plectrum-shaped rug and benches.
      Tying the floors together is a spiral staircase with a hall-of-fame-style photo gallery on the interior, as well as a three-storey-high vertical LED display on the glass facade outside that will be used for Fender-related content.
      The basement includes an event space and a care bar”Conceived as a hub and clubhouse for all things Fender, this project takes the notion of a flagship store and experiential retail to beyond the next level,” Klein Dytham Architecture co-founder Mark Dytham told Dezeen.
      Dytham started the practice with fellow Royal College of Art graduate Astrid Klein in Tokyo in 1991. Some of their recent work includes the PokoPoko clubhouse for the Risonare Nasu hotel in rural Japan and a Cartier store with an intricate wooden facade in Osaka.
      Photography by Nacása & Partners.

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      Pirajean Lees and Olly Bengough design “timeless” interiors for House of Koko members' club

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      Low-lit bathrooms informed by dressing rooms and a stage-kitchen-like restaurant feature in a members’ club at iconic music venue Koko, which pays homage to its theatrical past. 

      Local studio Pirajean Lees and owner and creative director of Koko Olly Bengough collaborated to create a members’ club within the London venue, which has been renovated over the past three years.
      Top: soft furnishings in Ellen’s bar control its acoustics. Above: Modular furniture that is easy to move features throughout the clubNamed The House of Koko, the members’ club consists of numerous bars, dining areas, lounges and a speakeasy arranged over several floors in a space alongside the public areas of the venue.
      The members’ club is directly connected to the refurbished 122-year-old, Grade II-listed theatre, which was renovated by architecture firm Archer Humphryes Architects.
      “The heart of the whole project is the theatre,” Bengough told Dezeen.

      A 1970s-style private dining room sits close to the main theatrePirajean Lees and Bengough took cues from Koko’s history as a music venue when designing the members’ club interiors, which intend to playfully reflect how traditional theatres used to run.
      On the first floor, The Battens Bar is a cocktail lounge that features a central banquette with punk-era red leather trim and a ceiling canopy crafted from cloth by Richmond Design Inc that has previously only been used to make speakers.
      Next to this space, there is a minimalist restaurant featuring Japandi interiors and an open-plan kitchen and dining area that was informed by the simplicity and community of old stage kitchens.
      Vinyl-listening, train-like booths create a sense of intimacyAnother bar is Ellen’s – an intimate 1940s-style speakeasy named after actor Ellen Terry, who opened Koko when it officially started as The Camden Theatre in 1900.
      The space is defined by soft furnishings that control its acoustics and a one-of-a-kind carpet with quirky illustrations of cigarettes.
      A bespoke bar in the penthouse by Pirajean LeesA private dining room with a geometric glass chandelier has panelled walls that hint at the main theatre located next to it, while dedicated vinyl-listening rooms with under-seat record storage give occupants the feeling of being in a vintage train carriage.
      “Because we inherited such a rich history of Koko, I don’t think anything contemporary or very modern would’ve allowed everything to carry on as if it had never closed and as if we had always been here,” explained Pirajean Lees co-founder Clémence Pirajean.
      The rooftop restaurant includes a funnel-like fireplaceAlso included in the members’ club is a piano room and library that are designed in the same eclectic material palette as the rest of its spaces.
      There is also a penthouse with a recording studio and a lounge with numerous hidden microphones to allow artists to record music all over the room.
      An airy roof terrace and restaurant lead to The House of Koko’s final space, an attic-like bar hidden in the venue’s famous dome, which was restored after a fire in 2020 destroyed it and extended Koko’s closure.

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      Deep olive doors informed by those that were located backstage throughout Koko in the 1920s run through the entire building and feature bespoke handles designed by Pirajean Lees.
      Bathrooms with illuminated, angular mirrors intend to give visitors the feeling of getting ready for a performance backstage in a hair and make-up room.
      Wooden joinery in various rooms also intends to reference the main theatre’s fly tower, which is a 360-degree stage and shaft formerly used to store props and scenery that was discovered during Koko’s renovation.
      A curved staircase leads to the dome bar”The thinking was let’s really go back to the past and get the past right, which sets you up to do the future in quite an interesting way,” said Bengough, describing the designers’ process.
      “Because if you make it beautiful, and timeless, and classic and all connected, then you’re like, wow, part two is as interesting and as beautiful as part one,” added Pirajean Lees co-founder James Michael Lees.
      The dome features an attic-like bar with views of the rooftop restaurantAs well as the members’ club, Pirajean Lees and Bengough also designed the interiors for two public spaces at the music venue.
      These are Cafe Koko, a pizzeria featuring a bar that doubles as a small stage for live performances and a shop selling Koko merchandise.
      Koko will officially reopen to the public on 30 April, with live streaming capabilities installed throughout the venue so that artists can reach audiences all over the world.
      Previously, Pirajean Lees also created the interiors for a jazz-age-style restaurant in a converted Dubai nightclub.
      The images are courtesy of Pirajean Lees and Olly Bengough. 

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      Enrique Jerez and Blanca Leal transform mid-century garage into music school

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      Located in a former garage space at the base of a residential block, this school for music in the Spanish city of Burgos makes a feature of the building’s existing concrete structure.Local architect Enrique Jerez and interior designer Blanca Leal were commissioned to create the Yoglar school by a client, who wanted to create a “home” for early music and piano education.

      Classrooms in the open-plan extension are demarcated through orange vinyl flooring
      The original trapezoidal plot in which the school is located was built in 1947 along with the adjacent residential building.
      The garage faces the street while an extension with a mezzanine, which was added in 1952 to increase storage space, is located at the back. Supported by pillars, this features a barrel-vaulted concrete ceiling and covers the building’s original courtyard.

      The reception features built-in birch furniture

      Instead of dismantling this “disorganised” structure, the architects decided to leave the irregular, concrete shell almost untouched.
      As such, the 205-square-metre school is divided into two areas. The original, trapezoidal garage space is home to an entrance hall, reception desk and toilets alongside a manager’s office and the school’s largest classroom.

      The extension is nicknamed “the forest” and houses a menagerie of plants
      The former courtyard area is now nicknamed “the forest” and houses two irregularly-shaped classrooms. One of these is enclosed within a house-shaped volume, which was sound-proofed with the help of three-centimetre-thick cork panels.
      The second classroom is located within the larger open-plan space and is delineated by its orange vinyl flooring.
      A spiral staircase made from blackened steel leads up to the mezzanine level, which has retained its original function as a storage space.

      The spiral staircase is made from blackened steel
      Natural light is funnelled into the school through two sets of glass doors at the back of the space that open onto a small patio.
      The floors, walls and ceilings throughout are finished in polished concrete to bring a cohesive feel to the different spaces while enhancing the acoustics.
      The designers also added built-in birch furniture to bring some warmth to the otherwise cool concrete space.

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      “Our aim was to design a place both unique and functional, which could foster children’s creativity while achieving clear results in their music development from zero to 12 years,” said Jerez and Leal.

      The floors and walls are finished in polished concrete
      In the Czech Republic, architecture studios FUUZE and Public Atelier recently converted a series of old church buildings into a modern primary school with the help of brightly coloured interventions.
      The project involved building new classrooms and restoring the decaying roof trusses of the original church complex back to its former glory.
      Images are courtesy of Javier Bravo.

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      Goko converts 1920s house in Mexico City into recording studio

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      Mexico City studio Goko has topped this music studio with a large “skyspace” to flood it with natural light. Goko renovated a house built in the 1920s to create Chapel Studio with space for recording, meetings, hosting parties and accommodating overnight guests. The studio, founded by Mexican architect Christopher Koehn, wanted the music studio to […] More