Hot Designs at Sound LA

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At the newly opened Sound Nightclub in L.A., New York-based ICRAVE design and branding firm took a “black box” theater concept and created a completely interactive, projection mapped environment..

 

Los Angelinos are a tough crowd to wow, and it takes something pretty amazing to dazzle such a jaded set. So when opening a new nightclub in a space that is otherwise unremarkable, your design team must be willing to take chances.

Such is the case with the emergence of Sound Nightclub on North Las Palmas Avenue in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, which opened recently following what could aptly be described as an all-out assault on a pre-existing venue concept in order to transform it into something unique and amazing. This wild undertaking was spearheaded by a design firm that, naturally, defines itself as “fearless.”

Internationally renowned, ICRAVE (www.icrave.com) is a New York City-based experiential design firm with extensive experience in creating comprehensive, interactive environments. Helmed by Lionel Ohayon, ICRAVE has worked with both Fortune 500 companies and innovative upstarts on projects around the globe, and was a driving factor in the repositioning of the Meatpacking District as a destination for commerce and nightlife in New York. It would take a similar type of aggressive approach to create the scene now found at Sound Nightclub.

“We have a pretty good relationship with the folks at Sound, as we have done a few different projects with the owner, most recently Playhouse in LA, and he is a childhood friend of Lionel,” explains Gregory Merkel, Senior Project Manager and ICRAVE Designer. “The design goal for Sound was creating a fun, flexible, and exciting club for DJs and live music with a rock n’ roll gritty edge. We knew we wanted the space to feel like you were at a great rock concert of old, but with modern technology.”

Renowned for creating immersive, branded experiences, ICRAVE saw an opportunity to turn its client’s vision of a “black box” theater into a completely interactive, projection mapped environment, that even includes re-salvaged crates from the Howard Hughes estate and redwood from Frank Sinatra’s home.

Click here to read the full article on Sound LA’s ICRAVE design
in the March 2013 Digital issue of Bar Business Magazine