Places
Club culture
by Claudia Baillie
28
Designing a members’ club can be both prestigious and challenging – creating a unique atmosphere with real statement spaces also means juggling budgets and ever-diminishing deadlines. We fi nd out how it’s done
FROM HARD-WORKING co-working spaces and super-luxe layouts to women-only venues and those focused on wellness, members’ clubs have come a long way since the stuffy cigar-and-newspaper gentlemen’s establishments of the past. Soho House set a new precedent with its relaxed, homely vibe when it opened its fi rst London club back in 1995, and a raft of other purpose-built social and networking spaces have followed suit. But how does the design of these clubs differ from a regular bar, hotel, or restaurant? The key, it seems, is fl exibility. “We’re seeing a huge shift towards multi-use spaces, especially in London,” says Adam Farmerie, principal at New York-based design studio AvroKO. In November 2017, the practice completed Mortimer House, a members-only work and leisure destination in London’s Fitzrovia. “The general trend is that a retail store will double as a café, a barber shop, or a movie theatre. People are optimising spaces and building in experiences to attract all demographics – and the same is true of members’ clubs. History paints a picture of a stodgy, draped-in-darkness vibe, but these days it depends upon what the needs of members are.” His colleague Kristina O’Neal, also a principal at the company, agrees. “It
makes things challenging, but also more entertaining as we get to think through a space in a variety of ways,” she says. “People are eager to meet like-minded people in curated environments, and members’ clubs have a ‘choose your own adventure’ quality that we love.” This fl exibility comes in to play depending
on a club’s focus. “A group might want a buzzy bar or a larger table, or – for a confi dential chat or working on your laptop – you need a secluded spot,” says Richard Hywel Evans, founder of Studio RHE, the architects responsible for the design of women-only private health and wellness members’ club Grace Belgravia. Its Grade II-listed premises house not only a lounge and restaurant, but a gym, spa, and medical facilities, too. “You might go to Grace Belgravia, however, and there’s a London Fashion Week show in one of the undefi ned areas that’s not invading your space, but still providing the kind of energy that’s important in these venues.” From a practical point of view, every aspect needs to be highly functional and durability is paramount. “The turnaround in our clubs is massive, and I’m always astonished how much the furniture is used –
much more than in a restaurant or a hotel,” says Linda Boronkay, design director at Soho House. “I can only compare it to an airport lounge and, as a result, everything needs to be bullet proof. We wire sockets and charging points into furniture, and fabrics need to be really hard-wearing. High coffee tables allow people to work and eat, so it’s not just a lounge environment, and we combine those with mid and high-level working, dining, and bar spaces – all of which provide a comfortable platform so people can use it how they please. We also spend months perfecting the fl ow of a space, which is something we never compromise on. It’s never the fi rst, second, or even tenth option, because there’s always a better layout.” Spaces need to change in terms of atmosphere too – a key factor Squire & Partners architects were tasked with when designing The Ministry, the newly opened members’ club and co-working space by the legendary Ministry of Sound music label and nightclub. “Members work in TV, fi lm, music and fashion, and so more than any other client, The Ministry needed us to design for every moment of the day, week, or year, rather than as a constant,” says partner Tim Gledstone. “The hours from
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