matisse beach club
Opened: May 2014
Designed by: Jenlin Chia (Oldfield Knott Architects)
The Deal: Oldfield Knott Architects created this 21,000-square-foot beach club in a coastal suburb of Perth in Western Australia within a 20-week construction period to coincide with the 2014 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (known as “The Aussies”). The concept was to create a venue where patrons feel like they are escaping on an exotic, international adventure. And its pay-by-the hour cabanas and lounge areas—a contemporary interpretation of the early 1900s beachfront bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Victoria, that would be equally at home in 1960s Miami—have proven staying power.
The Look: Matisse draws color inspiration from the work of French painter Henri Matisse and splashes it across six striking cabanas. Faceted angular design, bold curves, and gleaming white surfaces surround sparkling pools and alfresco and indoor dining areas. Timber, polished plaster, and textured tiling reinforce the beachy theme, while colored LED lighting ups the club-like ante at night.
foxtail, sls las vegas
Opened: August 2014
Designed by: Gensler & Philippe Starck
The Deal: Starck and Gensler have teamed up for a third time with the SLS hotel chain, the newest arrival on the Vegas Strip, located at the site of the former Sahara Hotel and Casino. Starck’s design narrative, full of all the passion we’ve come to expect, envisions the SLS as a new cocktail. “It’s on the rocks, but the rocks of rock ’n roll,” he said. “The recipe comes from an island you cannot even imagine. It’s a long drink but you’ll leave thirsty and addicted to it, and you will come back again and again. Let’s dance!”
The Look: They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens at Foxtail will probably end up on Instagram. Silver and gold graffiti by Parisian artist Tark Benaoum sets the tone: an old-meets-new, grit-meets-glam mash-up that is, if not très Brooklyn, then perhaps très Vegas. The words he’s chosen conjure the crooning ghosts of the Sahara’s past—like the Sinatra line “What spring is like on Mars” scrawled above the bar. The 8,000-square-foot interior features plush, tufted leather banquets, a sleek black and white chevron floor, oversized brass birdcages for dancers, and pulsating LED ceiling installations for a distinctly 21st-century vibe. By Vegas standards it is dark and intimate, adding to the “wow” factor as guests transition to a 43,000-square-foot outdoor pool area, where 3D projection mapping turns the SLS hotel tower and garage into an epic light show during club hours.
basement, miami beach edition
Opened: December 2014
Designed by: Ian Schrager
The Deal: If anyone can capture unspoken, “let loose” cool it’s original Studio 54 co-founder and godfather of the boutique hotel Ian Schrager. In the latest installment of EDITION (a brand partnership with Marriott International), Schrager took over Miami’s historic Seville Hotel, designed by architect Melvin Grossman in 1955. There’s plenty to see above ground, but the real action is in Basement, a new kind of entertainment concept that combines a bowling alley, ice skating rink, and nightclub into one interconnected space.
The Look: Basement Miami is Studio 54 brought into the 21st Century with help from lighting and sound designer Patrick Woodroffe, who has designed the stages of superstars like Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé. Schrager calls it a “sensory explosion” and a “visual riot.” In the bowling alley, oversized LED displays and interactive lighting synchronizes with bowlers’ movements. On the ice rink floor, lights and color in constant motion swirl and pulse along with the skaters (who may or may not be wearing bikinis). Or when the party dies down, the rink can transform into a cool blue escape, all wrapped in white sheer drapes. Amidst the commotion, guests will find seating conspicuously absent—a purposeful decision to keep revelers reveling.
