State-of-the-art sound systems have never been more important to party-goers and clubs around the world are catching on. In Seminyak, on the island of Bali, architects at OMA has collaborated on a resort nightclub called Klymax, where both the acoustics and the sprung dance floor are finely tuned to offer a superlative nightlife experience.

OMA designed the Potato Head resort in 2020 and returned to create its bunker-like nightclub. The architects took sound extremely seriously, teaming up with veteran DJ Harvey Bassett, audio engineer George Stavro and Richard Long, who designed the sound at Studio 54, to create the unique space.

The practice layered the walls and ceiling with perforated plywood and teak veneer that ‘tames’ the sound waves that hit it. A layer of Rockwool insulation creates a buffer, and speakers are cosseted in thick concrete so they don’t vibrate.

OMA even built a pond on the club’s roof to prevent sound from leaking out and a ‘muted bar’, where bartenders serve cocktails on tap rather than in loud shakers. Leather seating in the raised lounge area also absorbs sound.

As for the dance floor, it’s built from layers of wood latticework interspersed with foam to protect dancers’ joints.

‘Listening bars’ have been popular in Asia for decades, spreading out from Tokyo jazz clubs between the wars. In recent years, bars and clubs around the world have adopted high-end sound systems for discerning customers who value their hearing and enjoy conversation while clubbing.
www.seminyak.potatohead.co

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