Color ‘shrooms at New York’s B’lo Lounge

B’lo takes its name from its somewhat secretive location just below street level on 19th St. in New York’s lower Manhattan. The concealed location only adds to the lounge’s exclusive and unique appeal.

Although guests take an industrial elevator down one floor to a somewhat discreet entrance to reach the lounge, make no mistake, B’lo is a high-end establishment offering tunes from top DJs, as well as live music. Once a billiard parlor, the 4000 sq. ft. lounge opened in November of 2002 after a complete refurbishment by ICRAVE Design Studio of New York.

Project Manager Shawn Hope and B’lo owner and operator Robert Vinokur were instrumental in the project. As one time owner and operator of clubs Goddess and Tantra in Miami and Chaos in New York, Robert’s background in the nightclub business is extensive. He comments, “Along with Lionel Ohayon from ICRAVE Design, we worked out the theme and the proper party atmosphere, one that New York was lacking, what we like to call New York Underground.”

Robert contracted Lionel, owner of ICRAVE and the inspiration behind the interior design, to plan the space. Lionel explains the concept, “We wanted a cavernous feel to the place, to create an underground subversive space where guests are not only being seen (posters of eyes and close ups of staring faces adorn the brick walls) but long to stare out.”

Lighting central to atmosphere
Martin Professional’s Application and Integration Specialist Joe Zamore was the man behind the lighting design while Lionel was the architect and interior designer for the project. “Light is a fundamental key to all designs and lighting is central to this club,” Lionel explains. “You see it everywhere.” Indeed, Martin Alien 02s are used throughout the venue to back-illuminate projection scrim ‘shrooms (two per ‘shroom), which expand upwards filling the venue with color. There are five glowing ‘shrooms in total.

"I didn´t want to light up the ceiling" Lionel says, “but wanted to saturate the space with color. To do so, we created these ´shrooms. The strategy was to keep the lighting above the heads of the revelers to create a canopy of light, while the arched form of the ´shroom reinforces the concept that the space is a subversive underground cavern.

“We wanted an emphasis on architectural lighting as opposed to nightclub effect lighting. The clientele can be different each night depending on who is DJing and who is promoting so we can change the feel of the club by making subtle changes to the lighting.”

MiniMACs for that extra punch
Crushed velvet walls and steel tables with relaxing couches surround the main area while in the back a VIP area has additional comfortable seating and an enormous yet very cool mirror. Candlelight adds to the atmosphere.

In the beginning, Lionel admits that he didn’t want to add effect lighting in the form of Martin MiniMACs but concedes that they are useful to give that extra boom when needed. B’lo has 3 MiniMAC Profiles and 3 MiniMAC Wash units, which are projected onto the ‘shroom scrims. A Freekie controller from the DJ booth controls the Martin gear. All Martin gear was supplied and installed by Farralane Lighting and Audio of Farmingdale, New York.

Fiber optic waterfall
There is a simpler yet effective lighting scheme at the entrance. Upon entering the lounge guests aren’t “wowed” right away as color is subtly washed onto the surrounding brick. But the wow factor isn’t completely missing as a Martin QFX 150 FiberSource powers a unique fiber optic waterfall along the curved brick wall that leads visitors to the main room. 

Another unique feature includes a fiberglass resin and aluminum wall that stands between the main dance area and the bathroom. The wall absorbs light so that a dance of figures moving behind the wall, the shadows of people in the bathroom behind, plays out on the wall. There are also video screens in each bathroom, positioned at different places in each stall.

The bar area is fronted by a curved brick wall with an Alien 02 color changing ‘shroom positioned above. Behind the bar hang a series of distinct theatre puppets. “I really thought they fit in well,” Lionel explains. “It’s about discovery. You can discover something new every time you look at them.”

Just like the club itself.