Musings about nightclub design, architecture, marketing and other such inklings
- Pugs, people and politics
On July 20, 1969 Commander Neil Armstrong and fellow astronaut Edwin Aldrin successfully touched down on the lunar surface. As Armstrong became the first person to touch the Moon’s surface, he spoke the unforgettable phrase, “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”
I was just a little man on the eve of that historical moment. My parents allowed my sister and I to stay up late and watch the world changing event on a 12 inch dog eared black and white television. Though too young to fully understand the significance of that evening’s event, I have deep memories of how I felt after that historic event. The next day at school was like the day before Christmas. People were just unexplainably happy and positive. Little did I know that things in my young life dad changed. And, change is good. Hard to fathom now, some 39 years or so plus what has happened in our lives let alone our country. We put a man on the moon and now have put an African American in the White House. Good stuff.
Last night another pioneer walked on sacred ground. Though on our turf, the message today in the spirit of humanity was loud and clear. We as a nation just took a big step. From the Latin girl at my local Seven Eleven to the guy in the toll booth, today it was clearly a new America today. Forget the political issues. Forget the color difference between black and white and red or blue. Regardless of how we voted, the dream, the American one has been resurrected and it’s hardly deniable.
My sister, who oddly enough was a teen sitting next to me on our beat up couch watching Neil do his thing sent me an email this morning recounting her memories of a little lady. While memories of 1969 were lunar related for me, hers were much deeper rooted in politics. She said that she remembered vividly sitting on the couch watching the 1969 Democratic National Convention on the same black and white television that I had when the Chicago police were hosing down African Americans with fire hoses and beating people senseless with riot sticks in the same park of Grant, Chicago were last night our new leader was creating history. Coincidence perhaps but doubtful.
Change is good. Letting go of the past is mandatory and today, November 5th, 2008 felt new and fresh.
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- Design Schmesign: Nightclub design in Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
Massimo Iosa Ghini’s Caffe
When you think of hip international locations for a nightclub, Fort Lauderdale FL hardly pops into your mind. Located just twenty or so miles north of Miami, this beach front town is undergoing a high style re-vamp that is worthy of any other “second city” and I am proud to be part of it. Or at least do my part in bringing an international nightclub brand with nightlclub credibility, style and inspired nightclub design to the sunny shores of Fort Lauderdale.
When crobar worldwide hung up its hat, albeit temporarily in south Florida in its past location, (see Cameo Theater) there were a lot of empty seats in the big club world arena. Now with a new venue on a great beach in a great town that seat is about to be filled in a big way. Crobar founder Kenny Smith and his band of merry men (and girls) have penned a deal for the mega clubs latest venture, crobar FLL. (Airport code for Fort Lauderdale….duh!) And if I have something to say about the new and improved venue, the latest and greatest crobar promises to be the best of the best. Thou we are nightclub designers and specialists even we have a hard time creating the “what is it” words that will inspire and lead the design charge. This is the singular most head scratching mind-boggling ear reddening phase of any big nightclub design project. What do you do and how do you do it?
I know for a fact that every designer has his/her own methods for finding the seed that gives way to a projects ability to grow and develop into something magical. I work with words, some work with pictures and some don’t work at all. Without the ability to describe what it is you are trying to accomplish and be able to describe them fluently and without pause, you are stabbing in the dark and will ultimately end up with a product that is disjointed and without personality. Do your homework……….paper up the walls.
My inspiration for this project comes from the annals of Italian design guru Massimo Iosa Ghini. Why, I’m not exactly sure thou he and his studio where one I studied and watched in the 80’s and 90’s while I was a student of design. I’m not sure how he can to me some 10 to 15 years after he was off my radar. Doesn’t really matter how what matters is who. Massimo, not much older than I studied architecture in Florence and in 1985 took part in the avant-garde movements of Italian design, creating illustrations, objects and interiors for the Bolidism group, of which he was the founder. Cool stuff. Jeez, the guy has designed for Ferrari, Maserati and Sottsass of the Memphis group. Good company and good inspiration.
Our studio is young and collaborative. The kids here and I call them kids liberally as they have the youthful curiosity around design and architecture that you would admire and expect from kids. When I mentioned Iosa Ghini they jumped on and did the Google manhunt and came back with nothing but smiles.
Though I am digressing into something other than crobar, and Fort Lauderdale this blog is as much about the process of design, and how you come to do it and how you evolve to be it. Ioso Ghini represents a whimsical and stylish profile to everything he touches. His designs look fast and sporty. If you were a teenager you would want an Iosa Ghini car. (If he had designed one)
I’m not sure how I will interpret or morph his language into my own, but I will. Voltaire once said, “originality is nothing more than judicious imitation.” Copy cat, hell no. Savor sweet moments from history and bring life through young eyes? Hell yes! That my friends, is good design.
- Cigarettes and Tea
It’s Sunday and normally I wouldn’t be blogging today, however, this graphic I found on blinkr is compelling and interesting. Though no reference to really much at all, this imagery is bemusing and not without political under tones. My take is COFFEE and cigarettes. Come on, its like peanut butter and jelly. I believe this artist could develop this word play into a cease smoking campaign.
This week I’m working on………….. So, you wanna open a nightclub? (part deux)
Nightclub design has never been this simple.
Tea bags and pack look like cigarettes. Some fun for you and youre frends. See? - you take a cigarette and drop to hot water cup - and you got tea, because its tea in cigarette (not tobacco). Filter work like float. And there is a common concept for tea and cigarettes is a break to communicate.
- Chopper Topper: Sir Lancelot by Sick Bastard Choppers
Sir Lancelot and Friend
When Sick Bastard Choppers founder and visionary, Dan Dausey sets his sights on doing something new and fresh, he doesn’t play. Dan is a dear friend of mine and a true Miami Beach icon. Not to mention he’s a pretty able golfer with a deadly short game. I just returned from a tour of his North Miami headquarters and fabrication facility and I am absolutely blown away by the most radical motorcycle design I have ever seen. Danny has always been a visionary and a builder. He has had his hands on some of the most notorious nightclubs in South Florida and has helped execute some of the most sophisticated nightclub design to date.
As I toured the administrative offices amongst the shelves of trophies and professional accolades and pictures of celebrity glitterati perched proudly on his rigs I found my way into the shop. As Danny and his co-collaborator Armindo “The Kid” Alves unlocked the vault, we entered the home of Sir Lancelot. A side bar and a brief description of this mad machine’s predecessor.
Sir Lancelot is known as both the greatest and the worst of the knights at the court of King Arhur. Lancelot is known as Lancelot of the Lake (or Lancelot du Lac) because he was raised by Vivien, the Lady of the Lake. He carries out various good deeds, including rescuing Queen Guinevere from Meleagant, an unsuccessful quest for the holy grail and the rescue of Guinevere after she is condemned to be burned to death for adultery with him.
If a machine can have royal lineage, this one does. The design is part HR Geiger, part NASA and a little bit of rock and roll. This custom chopper design has a personality, much like its creators. Fearless, brazen and full throttle.
As a nightclub designer I am faced with many challenges and many obstacles. Design is about problem solving and experimentation and about discovering new techniques and methods to create a distinct and memorable experience. It is how I design space and it is how Danny and company designs their bikes. If you ever make it down to Miami you are see Sir Lancelot in person. If not, keep your ears and eyes peeled to the press as the bike is now making the headlines in the national touring circuit. Try and get there, you will not be disappointed.
For me, on this day, this machine made me smile and is indeed a knight in shining armor.
- Miami Furniture Design: Skwehr Design
My friend Tim Collins of Skwehr Design wasn’t always my close friend. The design community is a small one here in Miami and when I came to this Island of South, beach that is, I was astounded by my inability to find the best of the best in the design world lined up front and center displaying their wares. Having lived and worked in both Chicago and New York and worked on several high style nightclub design projects I was surrounded by innovative, creative and qualified people on all of my projects.
When I was commissioned to design a custom Miami Modern home I was a little freaked out that I would not be able to execute some of the mid century interior details that are so key in a MiMo home. I ran through a series of finish carpenters and wanna-be custom millworkers before i started to alter the details to fit the level of craftsmen ship. At that time, we shared studio space with creative-wiz kid Sean Drake of one of Miami’s hottest creative design studios; Creative Mafia. (more about Sean later! Too many things for too few words!) He would always pop upstairs to our studio to see what we had cooking. When he saw the renderings for the house he flipped. I shared with him my frustration in finding like minded craftsmen with design skills and backgrounds to help us execute our details.
Enter, Tim Collins. In walks a tall man, trucker hat and a wolf like dog with hands the size of catchers mitts. Sean basically says, “this is your guy.” As it turned out, Tim did become our guy and with a background in architecture from Boston Architectural College and hands befitting a surgeon sculpting with wood. I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.
Together we created a modern masterpiece. Finely tuned and finely crafted.
Collaboration: Collins and Fortis
What began in the kitchen, quickly moved up to the stairs and around the balcony into the bathrooms. I am very proud of my work with Tim and through the experience didn’t just gain a first class designer/fabricator but a good friend.
My next step is to work him into some of our nightclub design projects coming soon!
- The most spectacular nightclub EVER
- The cameo nightclub was just a beta test for this behemoth
Truthfully, I was going to take today off. We all worked in the studio late crunching out a deadline for CRUNCH and had to make a fed ex deadline by 2pm. Side bar: Hire a design/architecture firm that works on Saturdays! Seriously, ask them, it matters. I just checked my email and received the first Hi-Res batch of architectural photos of Gatecrasher Birmingham.
I think the photo speaks for itself. Though I didn’t make it to the opening I lived the story of the design for what seemed to be an eternity of madness and to finally see something other than a rendering or a sketch gives me chills.
These will be posted on the main site shortly. BTW, the rest of the photos look absolutely radical!
Beyond Music, Beyond Glamour, Beyond Disco: Gatecrasher Birmingham
- Nightclub and fitness design: CRUNCH
- Preliminary Crunch South Beach PT bar
Bigtime Design Studios has recently been chosen as the design firm to handle the complete re-branding of the national fitness brand Crunch and their new vision. Described by former brand manager of Morgans Hotel Group, Tim Miller as “the apex where nightlife and fitness combine” this concept is so fresh that I am certain together we will revolutionize the way people stay fit and fresh. As a design driven concept we are exploring lots of innovative ways to provide interactive and unique experiences to distract you from the fact that you may not be thrilled about working out.
As we have quickly learned, the psychographic that is so dominant in nightclub design is equally as prevalent in upscale fitness design. Whenever people gather whether it is on the dance floor or in a group fitness room there is a social magic that we, as designers must create. At the end of the day, anyone can buy lighting, sound or gym equipment. They just won’t know where to put it. That is your designer’s job.
The million dollar question would be; HOW DO I DO THAT?
Not a simple answer, but firstly, focus on schematic design as this is the singular most important phase in design. There will be many designers who will adamantly disagree and I say let them. If enough time is not spent on how people will flow around your space and how they interact within it then you are fighting an uphill battle. Regardless of what finishes and fixtures you buy, and regardless of the money spent on sound, lights or video, the space will never have the emotional magic that occurs in public space when social groups gather. Good nightlclub design reacts with you, NOT to you!
Take a look at some of Bigtime Design’s previous nightclub design to see a case in point. Specifically Crobar New York and The Cameo South Beach. These are monumental complex spaces that required a massive amount of heavy lifting in the schematic design phase to create the flow that provided intimate yet grand gestures that were in the end, simple and human.
Aside from location, location, location remember schematic, schematic schematic!
Cal
- Nightclub Design and Where To Get It?
Perfect. You’ve now negotiated a great lease based on 6% of gross. You have gotten the normal and yes, I do mean NORMAL 90 day buildout from your landlord and now you are ready for the next big step. Unless you are a seasoned operator and concept maven you probably don’t know exactly what to do. You’ve seen nightclubs and nightclub design that you like. You’ve seen nightclub design that you hear people talk about and nightclub design that you have seen in magazines. You ask yourself. “how do I do that and more importantly where do I get that? Since Gatecrasher is all up and busy in the international press, let’s use Simon Raine and Gatecrasher Birmingham as a small but important case study.
Simon Raine had a hugely successful brand in the UK for almost a decade before it needed a big change. Simon is a real club guy, a real player in the international nightclub scene. He began his search well over a year ago and before he and I spoke he had researched more nightclub designers and nightclub concepts in a year than most people visit in a lifetime. He had the resources and the experience to hand pick the best of the best. He also had a distinct vision for his brand and he knew it had to be different and fresh.
My journey with Simon began at the Shore Club in South Beach, he in shorts, me in a suit. We talked culture and spirit and how people feel when they are clubbing. We talked and shared stories about our most memorable club nights. We really talked about life and relationships long before we got down to the brass tacks of whether he would hire me as the nightclub design firm for his new and precious baby.
For now, alas and thankfully he did. In a big way. Gatecrasher has been born a new and to open and welcome arms. Hats off Simon, enjoy the dance.
- So, you wanna be in the nightclub business! (part 1)
So, you want to be in the nightclub business? Or rather you want to open your own restaurant. You’ve traveled, you’ve bought bottles in all the hipster clubs, you’ve analyzed your market and now your ready to make the plunge. Where do you start? Do i hire an architect, a designer, or both? First things first. Before we help make that determination listen closely. Thou a cliche, three things still hold true. Location, location, location.
Do your homework, rather your footwork on the location hunt. Have a percentage number in mind before falling in love with any space that may have assets but isn’t within your budget. This is one of the biggest first mistakes people can make and actually doom the project before a nail gets hit on the head. As a general rule, do NOT let your gross rent exceed 10% of gross revenue. WITHOUT EXCEPTION. When you learn about occupancy cost and where the money goes you will be stunned at how much a bad rent deal can affect your bottom line regardless of critical or high gross revenues. Sounds elementary and to some i can almost hear a loud “duh, tell me something I don’t know” coming from my macbook but it is amazing to me how many experienced operators make the same near fatal mistake. I know this from experience.
Hire from experience. Check your references. Don’t believe the hype. Many sub contractors will take credit for high level experience of projects they merely wired and hung lights. A lighting tech who worked on a project does not a good lighting designer make. You get the point. Call the owners of venues you like, find out if they had good experiences with the design team. Did they provide new and fresh ideas or did they regurgitate the past? Were concepts provided within the budget? Or were fantasy designs presented that could not be built regardless of cost or time. This is step one. My take is this. Become an educated consumer. Don’t be fooled. You are not hiring a design team, you are entering into a relationship albeit a short one, it is still a relationship and at the least, a personal one.
Happy hunting.
Cal
- International Nightclub Design: Bigtime Design
Designer, nightlife impresario and Bigtime founder Callin Fortis – primarily known for designing and branding the international and award-winning brand of Crobar nightclubs – is combining fashion, music, branding and architecture into one package with Bigtime Design.
Bigtime’s recent projects include working as the interior architects for Morgan’s Hotel Group’s Mondrian South Beach, a dirty disco re-imagining and build-out of the Cameo Theater (for which Fortis received a night club design, interior design award nomination) and a full scale re-branding of UK dance music institution Gatecrasher. Bigtime has also completed numerous projects in Chicago, including Ristorante Angelina, Exit, Franks, Glow, Hi Tops, Kaboom, Neo, oo-la-la, Tequila Road House, Vinyl and Watusi.
The common thread in all of Bigtime’s work is that there is sociology to good design. “People might ask what kind of social or political dislocations my designs represent,” says Fortis. “If you look around any significant design you will find that successful space is interpreted as a social and political monologue, where each user reacts with whatever emotions they already possess.” Bigtime Design is a collaborative studio, consisting of a team drawn of creative artists, architects, designers, and nightlife marketing pros. Fortis and his crew utilize a design ethos where oversized objects create the experience, while the human-sized details evoke a personal connection and create a lasting memory. “I encourage design to react with you, not to you,” says Fortis.
For more information visit bigtimedesignstudios.com
