B018

...the lot is flat and empty, with a raw steel structure reminiscent of an ICBM launch site in the centre of a circular space. Driving past during the day there are no traces of a club, but at night it is difficult to miss the throngs of ultra-hip nocturnal souls exposing themselves in the half light of the lot. Until the civil war in Lebanon, the current location of B 018 was a quarantine housing up to 20,000 refugees from all over the Middle East. In 1976 however, a massacre and subsequent bulldozing totally eradicated any trace of previous life anywhere near the area. The ground level increased by three-and-a-half metres. Familiarizing himself with the history and topography of the location, the architect Bernard Khoury set out to design a metaphorical structure whereby the historic scars of the location would not be buried. The result is stunning and has seen coverage by every major architectural journal in the world. The most spectacular aspect of the club is revealed when the heavy beats kick in and the ceiling entirely opens up to the night sky. Then a giant distorted mirror over the bar rises and stops at a 50-degree angle to reflect the city and the cars of the freeway into the club. The outside world is, in effect, mise-en-scene, but simultaneously you are, in fact, outside. The taste in music is impeccable, you'll understand as soon as you will be there!

Address: Karantina, Beirut, Lebanon
Telephone: +961 3810618
Website: www.b018.com/
Votes: 3
Visited: 1559