Boutique Design - January/February 2018 - 40

Smack

Royal leamington Spa, U.K.
The design brief couldn't have been simpler: Deliver another award winner. No pressure, right? The venue already had nabbed honors in high-profile design competitions, been voted one of the world's best nightclubs and served as a staple for
University of Warwick students. "This was a glorified cosmetic refurb," says Brian
Hawkins, Keane's interior design lead, U.K. "It was a like for like. We just reimagined it."
When it came to breathing new life into an already lively space, Keane had
to come up with clever solutions that would amp up the energy without
changing the structural parameters that were then in place, including the
existing bar and dance floor.
"The amazing thing was that all the materials we used were pre-assembled,
and the club only had to shut down for a week," explains Hawkins. In fact, that's
how long it took to complete the entire project.
The designers added layers of bold color to the club's signature black-andwhite scheme in some areas. In others, they played with line and form while
maintaining the monochromatic look. That approach is most apparent in the
reception corridor, where the illuminated walls, ceiling and floor are decked out
with distorted grid lines, imbuing a sense of movement for a far-out effect. On
one of the walls, the designers added height markers next to the curving lines
with a cheeky note reading, "yet another photo opportunity..." for Insta impact.
The black and white theme is echoed on an elevated seating area with a small
stage and backlit white floor tiling. Throughout the venue, the designers added
sex appeal to the solid black backdrop via red tape lights and exposed tube bulbs,
creating an urban, stripped-back look reminiscent of an underground rave.
Here, the design team knew their target club kid wouldn't be easily wowed, or
offended. So they played up celeb references and didn't shy away from poking fun
at party culture. Red-lit hallways display mixed-media collages with images of notorious models, sports sensations and avant-garde artists paired with edgy clippings,
phrases and graffiti-style marks. The door to the ladies room features pictures of
fashion legend Kate Moss wearing a white t-shirt where a logo is altered to read,
40

boutiquedesign.com January + February 2018

"It's all about me." More edgy and crude phrases surround
celebs such as Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. A Nike
symbol serves as Salvador Dali's mustache.
In the bathrooms, a black background is splattered
with floor-to-ceiling street art. Paint was even splashed
onto sanitary wares, countertops and an ornate black
mirror frame. In another bathroom, an oversized
photo of a model's face with smeared lipstick hangs
above the sinks. Party goers can catch their reflections
in her mirrored sunglasses.
But it's the large "smack box," which Hawkins
describes as a "gloriously technicolor optical illusion,"
that dominates the club, doing double duty as a DJ spot
and a light booth. Hawkins notes that it was intended as
both an obstruction and an installation that was made
to be shared on social media. Overall, the design pushes
creative boundaries and embodies the edgy escapism
synonymous with today's EDM culture.

PROJECT
PARTICIPANTS
DESIGN TEAM

Brian Hawkins, lead
designer; Abi Hancox,
concept designer; Aleksandra Karpuzova, design
support; Sam Welfair,
visualizer

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - January/February 2018

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