Old And New
A Designer’s View of Club Trends

The direction of design in one of the country’s most interesting markets may lend some ideas to operators in smaller markets, looking to incorporate something fresh to their own cities and towns. Karl Hasz is a design consultant and president and founder of Hasz Construction (www.haszconstruction. com) in San Francisco, where he has worked on some of the Bay Area’s hottest night spaces, including Bacar, Supper Club, Bambuddha Lounge and Tres Agaves.

Quality Not Quantity
“The general overall trend (in San Francisco) is that quality, not quantity, is really going into our clubs here — definitely smaller venues,” Hasz says. “Folks are spending more money on build-outs of clubs, in a city where they are notorious for not spending any money on it. It’s nice. Overall, I think people are dressing better in the city and are more in tune with fashion when they go out. Folks are stepping up and designing around that.” “We’ve definitely gotten away from the dot-com era of plastic materials and trying to be super-cutting edge, he says. You see a lot of throwback themes, so you see a lot more natural materials and things you’re used to seeing and some odd stuff like alabaster stone, to give it an old look. “Something we’ve also gotten away from is any kind of lighting effects or lighting shows. No one’s really doing anything with moving heads anymore. It’s all pretty generic, low-level lighting. Clubs in definitely are darker

Updating With Caution
As for bar owners in smaller markets between the coasts, Hasz advises cautious incorporation of these ideas. “First, I would say be very careful not to overdo it,” he says. “You still have a market that’s maybe not used to that stuff, so I’m always cautious on going too far. Something I’d try to stay away from, that so many people are always trying to do, are the beds. People think it’s so elegant, but it’s tough to get people to hang on them. “To me, it’s timeless, trendless designs that aren’t neutral or bland but are sustainable that are just so much better options for that type of situation. I would try to pick out stuff that would be comfortable to look at and be in.” Some of the best changes may be the simpler ones. “A good element that really goes a long way are some of the fantastic backbars that are lit,” Hasz says. “Those are really nice, because they project so much and put a gorgeous, ambient hue into the space. It puts a nice glow on everybody. That’s a really nice design feature that can be
timeless that is seen by a lot of people.”