CONTRACT FEATURE
Night Lights
Littman Brands Contract helps reinvent a new nightclub Home to ultra-hip lounges, clubs and bars, Vancouver is a city known for its vibrant nightlife. But with so many exciting places to choose from, where does a night owl even begin? For those seeking VIP luxury and entertainment, look no further than Twelve West – a sophisticated new venue illuminated by Troy Lighting. The 7,000-square-foot nightclub, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, possesses an eclectic yet intimate atmosphere that epitomizes extravagance and style. The interior was designed in collaboration with Nigel Walker and Associates – the design team of Nigel Walker, Lorin Bordeville and Jenny Huang – and the club owners, whose vision was to create an entertainment space that broke away from Vancouver’s traditional nightclub scene. “The end goal was to loosen the expected boundaries of the club experience and once through the door, to be as comfortable as one’s own living room,” said designer Lorin Bordeville. “We changed how, and in what order, a nightclub space is experienced by club-goers.” The design team took inspiration from Vancouver lofts, West Coast design and New York’s revitalized districts, as well as speakeasy venues and the historic elements present in the space’s architecture and the surrounding Granville Street Entertainment District. “Vancouver’s historic industrial areas are built with old growth fir timbers, iron elements and steel structural components,” said Bordeville. “Lofts celebrate these materials, and these particular Troy fixtures are a creative complement to that design style and era.” To bring these historic elements down to the human scale, the design team used tactile fabrics, low-rise seating and a relevant yet contemporary design style. Troy’s Pike Place chandeliers and wall sconces were installed in the main lounge area, an intimate space with a warm living room feel. Exposed brick walls, earthy curtains, reclaimed wood paneled ceilings, historic bootlegging photography and a fireplace add to the welcoming ambiance – along with a delightful billiards table with ruby red woolen cloth.
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Project: Twelve West Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Design: Nigel Walker and Associates Photography: Ed White Photographics 29
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Possessing vintage style yet constructed to contemporary dimensions, booth seating with cushioned backs in a daring shade of mustard are grouped into cozy configurations. Pike Place’s manila rope suspension and handcrafted industrial details mix in the rustic and mechanical flavor of early 20th century design. At the end of the main bar area, which features a striking black and white chevron-patterned floor, you can find Troy’s sparkling Byron chandelier suspended above a seating area with tufted leather chaises. Its faceted crystals peek out from inside a wrought iron armillary sphere, creating a traditional style fixture that fits perfectly into the modern environment. Craig Swanson, a representative for Ocean Pacific Lighting – a lighting supplier in Western Canada – was instrumental in facilitating Troy’s involvement with Twelve West. Swanson showed the design team Troy’s Pike Place installation inside the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel Resort from a previous issue of Larger Than Light, which inspired them to use it in their new design. The team chose Troy’s fixtures because they fit the specific look and materials palette they wanted: period relevant materials, reclaimed woods, masonry and iron. Troy fixtures were used as the iron element, casting a warm glow with an effect similar to firelight. “Ocean Pacific was a huge resource in this respect, providing ideas and manufacturers like Troy who were making fixtures in the style we wanted,” said Bordeville.
The main bar area inside Twelve West
Before its renovation, Twelve West was home to the nightclub Ginger 62, an eclectic but dated space in need of a major overhaul. The space was stripped completely, and the demolition revealed beautiful masonry walls and a five-foot thick timber and brick doorway to the club’s neighbor. “This presented a perfect, framed focal point to juxtapose the Twelve West VIP lounge with a raw, Vancouver alley,” said Bordeville. “A window to the street, so to speak, and a nod to all the industrial areas that evolved into city centers and posh neighborhoods a hundred years later.”
Troy’s sparkling Byron chandelier juxtaposes faceted crystals with wrought iron
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A cozy lounge radiates VIP luxury inside the Twelve West nightclub L AR GER T H AN LIGHT | SUMME R
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