Ideal Lighting Schemes for Nightclubs
Nour Mehio, Senior Interior Architect at Rabih Geha Architects
Clubbing is a vital part of any progressive culture. However, it was not until the 1960s that nightclubs earned a typology of their own requiring a specific design approach. Since then, they became a cradle for movements and moments in design, including the manipulation of light.
Lighting schemes are one of the most important details to consider in nightclub typologies. They are the vehicle used for transporting clubbing faithfuls to that other dimension they seek in a clubbing experience, one of exploration, self-expression and disconnect.
While deciding on the most appropriate application of light, designers must consider four elements: studying the existing space and attempting to solve a problem, exploring the story a club is trying to convey, developing a single versatile lighting unit and finishing it off with complementary ambient lighting.
The Solution
A club’s lighting scheme will either follow the existing layout or break free from its constraints depending on the desired outcome and the designer’s objective.
The purpose of the lighting scheme at B018 Dubai for example was to create symmetry in an otherwise misshaped space. A series of existing columns had to be replicated, and lights had to be placed at an exact offset from the borders of the room imitating its curvature.
A lighting scheme can also trick the eye into perceiving an entirely new, illusory layout. Designers may choose to deviate from the original outline and have lights break the boundaries of the layout to unify two separate areas and make them seem as one.
However, if the intention is to add monumental overtones to the space, then opt for a centralized lighting scheme that mirrors the layout and leaves the eye to enjoy an orderly, linear pattern. This arrangement also aids in enhancing symmetry and gives visual prominence to the area where the DJ booth is located.
The Story
The essence of any clubbing experience is the story behind it. In nightclub design, light is one of the most important modes of portraying that story and channeling strong emotions. The more vivid the emotion, the more intense its visual representation becomes using light.
Uberhaus Beirut was inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio’s Monstro. While the tale beings in darkness, the clues to the plot are brushed in with flashing lights using an elaborate RGB LED lighting scheme emanating from fifteen gigantic steel beams to represent the ribcage of the whale.
The Single but Versatile Lighting Unit
An overall visual scene created by lighting can be reduced to the repetition of one singular module regardless of its size, shape or color. When paired with music, this repetition acts as a stimulant that enhances and drives the clubbing experience.
For AHM club in Beirut, 36 symmetrical mast-like vertical structures were erected each consisting of four separate horizontal RGBW Pixel lights. Every strip and pixel is independent, allowing the lighting technician to create unique play of lights and patterns.
Over in Apulia, Italy, the inspiration for a Bedouin-themed club came from the vast olive grove surrounding the plot. Here, the single, versatile lighting unit represents an olive tree while the interlocking fragments mirror the meshing of the leaves. The module is made from eight polar segments, split into two vertical and linear LED RGB lights. The lights are independent from the modules, and the modules are separate from the rest of the lighting scheme creating versatile, unique lighting compositions.
The Support of Secondary Lighting
All things considered a single lighting unit, as powerful as it may be in projecting a certain mood, is not enough to carry the scene to completion. Supporting lights such as strips, beams, indirect lights and projectors are essential to tie the space together and substantiate the effect of the lighting scheme.
These could be mounted to or recessed from walls and ceilings and other basic structures or attached to secondary elements such as tables, backwalls and stairs.
At B018 Dubai, lit Onyx marble tabletops and red-lit wall appliques balance the main lighting fixtures and enhance the lighting scheme, bringing the visual experience within reach.
