Architecture studio OMA has collaborated with DJ Harvey on a nightclub at the Potato Head Resort in Seminyak, Bali, where optimized acoustics and a sprung dance floor enhance the experience for partygoers.
Following the completion of the resort itself in 2020, OMA again worked with Potato Head Design Studio on the interiors for Klymax, which were acoustically treated to transform the entire dance floor into a “sonic sweet spot.”
English DJ Harvey Bassett, known as DJ Harvey, also brought his knowledge of four decades of experience in nightclubs.
His goal was to “transform the most unique and significant elements of the world’s leading parties and venues – past and present – into what he believes is the most rewarding nightclub experience imaginable,” the design team explained.
“At Klymax, sound comes first,” the team continued. “It’s just that when you’re designing a space that’s going to showcase the music in the best possible way, the design is visually appealing.”
The club’s walls and ceilings are clad in teak veneer and perforated with over 2.6 million holes that help “tame missing frequencies” by preventing the sound waves from reflecting and altering the sound.
The panels are mounted on equally perforated plywood panels and a layer of rock wool insulation, creating a buffer in front of the 20 centimeter thick concrete exterior walls.
A 208 square meter sprung dance floor, similar to the one at London’s Ministry of Sound, is designed to reduce fatigue and strain on dancers’ joints.
The technology, which is also used in ballrooms and basketball courts, consists of four layers of a wooden lattice structure with 50 millimeters of foam between each intersection.
Klymax audio engineer George Stavro worked with fellow engineer Richard Long, who was responsible for sound at legendary Manhattan venues Studio 54 and Paradise Garage.
“It is a classic disco nightclub system based on a blueprint developed in New York clubs in the 1970s,” the team said.
To absorb vibrations, the speakers stand on 11 centimeters thick concrete padding, which is also designed to be separated from the sprung floor to avoid rattling noises.
“The system is rich, finely balanced and immaculately detailed, producing a huge sonic sweet spot that presents music exactly as it was meant to be heard, with all the nuances – perfectly tuned to optimize the audio experience,” the team said.
A floating DJ booth is soundproofed from the dance floor so music doesn’t leak in, while a reflective pond on the Klymax roof also prevents noise from coming through the roof.
The lighting was developed in collaboration with Tokyo-based Real Rock Design, the same studio behind Japan’s Rainbow Disco Club Festival.
On one side of the room there is a raised lounge area with leather seats, in the middle a disco ball with a diameter of one meter hangs from the ceiling.
The club also features a “muted bar” that serves cocktails on tap to avoid the noise of shakers and bottles.
In May 2024, DJ Harvey will take part in a month-long artist residency at Potato Head, which includes multiple nightly sets at Klymax as well as a curated program of film screenings, surfing and mindfulness sessions.
A line-up of international residents and DJs is also planned for the nightclub, including HAAi, Dave Clarke, Sophie McAlister and Jonathan Kusuma.
OMA completed Potato Head Studios Resort in 2020 as part of Desa Potato Head Village in the Balinese beach town of Seminyak.
The company previously lent its nightclub design expertise to a pop-up venue for fashion brand Miu Miu through its research arm AMO. And in 2017, the studio unveiled its design for a shape-shifting new venue for Ministry Of Sound, which won a competition in 2015 but was scrapped shortly afterwards.
The photography is by Tommaso Riva.