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.