The Den of Zen - O, enlightened one, this is the Age of Zen, as a new nightclub in Port of Spain brings fresh life to an old city. Katrina Legarza climbs the three levels of enlightenment
Photography by Alex Smailes |
WALK THROUGH the art deco façade of the De Luxe, the picture palace of the past, and assume your role in the production of the night. Ushering yourself through the warmly-lit spaces, move through Asian-inspired lounges and bars, getting sneak peeks of the spaces beyond.
The lights start changing and earthy colours envelop you. Walls wrapped in cushioned velvet, low tables, cosy booths with light, furry curtains and wood laminate flooring beg you to touch them. Lights start pulsating beyond you and as you keep moving through the choreography of spaces, the ceiling shoots upwards and the space opens up as you are hit with a dramatic view of the tremendous space before you. Hundreds of people, vibrating to the beat of the New Age music filling the space, peak an energy level already heightened by the flashing lights and lasers.
This is not one of the clubs of Trinidad 's past, this is a New Age club channelling the old-world concepts of the East. This is Zen, the latest addition to Johnny Soong's nightclub empire, designed by Felix Gonzales, an American designer, hand chosen for the purpose of creating an impact on the social scene in need of an intervention to bring it to the international forefront. And the contractor was Eric Mohammed. |
Designing a club is no easy feat. The constant appetite for change and the evolution of the entertainment scene requires the club to become an ongoing project, in order to remain chic to the audience. The name Zen is more than a name but a concept chosen by Soong to keep interest alive in a world gravitating more and more towards Asian mysticism in design. “It is very difficult to explain in words the meaning of Zen. It is a way of life and a way of thinking,” Soong said. Spatial exclusivity in conjunction with graphics, colour, lighting and sound are the elements that keep Zen a trendy chameleon, sparking the public's curiosity. |
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The club is housed in the De Luxe cinema, built by William Pettygrew Humphrey, an already established cinema mogul from Guyana , in 1937. Humphrey had fought for the permission to construct a cinema on the fringes of the Savannah and was eventually granted permission to build the art deco De Luxe, a cinema constructed to follow the trends of the time, with a balcony and pit and one large screen. Following Humphrey's death, the De Luxe was bought over by Timothy Roodal, who had already acquired for himself a long list of cinemas under the name, Roodal Theatres of the Caribbean . Roodal established theatres in Trinidad , Guyana , and Barbados , building a cinematic legacy which developed and marked cinema and architecture in the Caribbean . At the time of the birth of De Luxe, Keate Street was already a street of monuments: Memorial Square , Bishop Anstey High School and the National Museum , which were all neighbours of the grand Princes Building . The De Luxe added to this list of monumental spaces within the city and made an impact with its avant garde art deco façade, standing in contrast to the classical façade of the museum to the north. Following Roodal's death, the De Luxe was left to one of his two daughters, eventually becoming the property of the Morgan family, who ran the cinema well into the 1990s. |
The De Luxe was an awe-inspiring building at the time of its creation. Futuristic in appearance, it held gleaming images of the make-believe world of Hollywood , bringing joy and laughter to audiences. Exhibiting typical art deco elements on its façade, ornamental plasterwork and vertical racer-striped elements, the building was painted in turquoise, green and purple, colours typical of tropical deco. Tropical deco is an evolution of the art deco style within the tropical extremities of the globe, particularly exhibited in Florida 's South Beach . It later spread south to Cuba and Trinidad , and other Caribbean islands to a lesser extent.
Recognising the importance of the building within the history of the city, Soong was adamant about maintaining the façade of the building. “We wanted to maintain what is an important façade to the street. Other elements, too, were maintained. The entry tiles are the same tiles that John Wayne set foot on.” The original entry tiles, coloured mosaic-like tiles, typical of the period, and the grand stairs that lead to the upper mezzanine-space within the club were maintained. Felix Gonzales has created an eastern-inspired composition of spaces that take guests from private to more public spaces. Screens frame views, filtering light through glass, fabric and wood, creating an eclectic, innovative mix of materials.
Spatial definition is the key to the concept of exclusivity that is Zen. From the periphery space on the main level, one enters several different lounging areas, coloured in deep aubergine and maroon. You then move through a series of bars, each exhibiting a different mood, with walls lined in fabrics, which replicate the feel of rice paper murals, and backlit Plexiglas laminated with leafy imagery. The main central space is the dance floor. Here, an elliptical bar occupies a prime location, with wide countertops and computer-choreographed lighting, pulsating and mixing colours. A laser light penetrates space, drawing graphic imagery on a large floating screen in mid-air. The second level, an ultra-exclusive portion of the club, offers a more relaxed mood. Wrapping around the dance floor from above, the Moroccan Room is an explosion of colour and texture. Low furniture recounts Asian tradition in furniture design. Private moments may be enjoyed in cushioned booths behind drawn curtains lining linear spaces. The final level of Zen's enlightenment is the third level, which houses a sushi and tapas bar. There, you walk on stone elements that replicate, through colour and texture, a Zen garden. The third level also provides views of the interior of the club, the canopies on the roof terrace, and the city below.
Bringing life to a unique building within the city fabric, Zen has propelled Trinidad 's club scene to the international forefront. Zen has set a precedent for urban rehabilitation and sparks interest in reviving the otherwise dying city. Soong has recreated the glamour and mystery of one of the historic motion picture theatres of the city.
When the metallic silver doors roll up and the shimmering curtains are revealed, take a deep breath and prepare to walk into the world of Johnny Soong's Zen. |
