054 VENUE
SANKARA
mui ne, vietnam ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANiA
“What started as a relaxed beachside location with some unique twists stemming from certain facets of [the] creators’ personalities, soon developed into a philosophy of ‘no half measures’,” said Helenita Pistolas, the main proprietor and leading inspiration behind Sankara, Vietnam’s luxurious new beach club and restaurant in Mui Ne. Indeed, ‘no half measures’ meant Vietnam’s first permanent Funktion One install and LED lighting by Color Kinetics. The project was conceived and pioneered by Pistolas and best friend Harry Beauchamp (proprietor) along with an international design team, among them Fred Bolliet of ADN Concept Architect Co and Mancunians, Kamal Dasanaike – project managing all construction, and Craig Derbyshire as technical consultant. Most of them having extensive experience in the entertainment and hospitality industries, their concept was born of creating something in a country that was daringly way ahead of its time and place. Inspirations came from Bali, Dubai and Miami, places the creative team had all enjoyed and which had left indelible memories. In a revealing insight into how the team related to their passion project, Pistolas said: “Sankara is often referred to as a ‘she’, this eases what we do with concept of events as we can constantly think ‘would she like it?’ “The opportunity to create on an absolutely blank canvas in such a wonderful setting... to give people an experience, a place they have never seen before, almost euphoric. This kept a heavy influence of quality in all fields, product, environment, technology and atmosphere. A real labour of love in every sense of the word... working with international design teams and local contractors. We wanted a thing of beauty that could be enjoyed to its full capacity and not feel cold or too clinical as to determine customer’s experience of the place,” continued Pistolas.
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High ideals and expectations meant that in spite of the numerous challenges to overcome, Helenita Pistolas and her team had the patience and passion to realise their goals. It took three years from buying the land to Sankara’s grand opening. Being one of the rare 100% foreign owned businesses in Vietnam, red tape and legal documentation was often being handled for the first time by various official departments and committees. Design changes during construction, and importing Singaporean designed and built membranes, delayed completion on the 2,200 square metre property. Now one of Asia’s leading kite-surfing destinations, the beautiful Mui Ne area is still under heavy development and Sankara, together with other independent beach club venues, is not part of a residential resort. But, with an LED lit swimming pool and five-star service, it stands apart from other mere beach clubs. “Entertainment venues here tend to settle only on what’s readily available in country,” said Pistolas. “We were one of the first to use Color Kinetics because we understood that the venue needed its own organic feel to change character throughout the day; it is essential the place has it’s own energy, its own personality,” she added. “Music was always one of the primary concepts in our philosophy. Sound quality is essential, one of our co-creators had worked with Funktion One systems in the UK and was adamant that [Funktion One] had to be integrated into our setup. Their sound and reputation speak for themselves and also their visual aesthetic sent out the right statement to revellers. Yes, enjoy the beauty, but we take our music very seriously. We also flew our own resident DJ in from the UK.” This venue is far more than just Sankara’s catchy slogan, Helenita Pistolas avers: “We are ‘where the love lives’.”
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