The Moon CLUB is a magnificent nightclub that opened early this year in the vibrant Dlouhá street area of Prague.
What makes this 740 square-metre (7.965 sq. ft) space magnificent is the fact that it is a smart restoration of a former bank. Restorations offer such an incredible opportunity to conjure up something new by combining the old with the new. Sounds simple but isn’t. But when done right, it beats any brand-new creation.
The elegant moon-inspired design of the Moon CLUB is the result of cooperation between two local firms, Formafatal and Machar&Teichman.
The operators of the club are brothers Michal and Vaclav Matousek who also operate three Nebe nightclubs in Prague.
They knew what they wanted and Dagmar Stepanova and Katarína Varsová of Formafatal and Pavel Machar and Radek Teichman of Machar&Teichman were up to delivering it.
During the year-long design and construction project to turn an old bank with a glass atrium into a cool nightclub for 400 people, the team faced some challenges.
One of the key issues was acoustics. While the inner courtyard provides a decidedly key cool component to the club, it was also an acoustical challenge. The team solved the acoustical problems, for example, with doubled roof glazing, acoustic buffer wall constructions and special plasters.
Various rooms and areas – from secluded seating nooks to spectacular viewing areas to the bar and dance floor – each have their own atmosphere and detailing.
Patinaed metal sheets, dark burned wood, old stained mirrors, ornamental paintings and velvet-upholstered furniture in several colours give each area its own feel. A common link through all of the areas is the patinaed painting of walls.
Our favourite aspect of the club is the lighting and the intriguing and varying sight-lines created by it. Most of the lighting was custom-created for this project including the central ‘chandelier’ in the entrance lobby with the arched mirror.
The custom-created central bar in the courtyard is clad in golden corrugated metal with a moon silhouette floating above it. Three big round pendant lights and groups of metal pendants above it create a starry-night reflection on the glass ceiling.
We also love the lighting of the Alchymista bar on the second floor. The key component of the mysterious light effect here are the brass panels hanging above the bar. They were treated with a corrosive agent to create patina and then cut with ornamentation. A straight ‘beam’ of light cuts through the upper part of the panels and filters down toward the bar counter. Tuija Seipell.
Address: Moon Club & Lounge, Dlouhá 26, Prague 1- Staré Město, Czech Republic
Images: Jakub Skokan, Martin Tůma / BoysPlayNice
