ICRAVE received a simple prompt from TAO Group when conceiving the design for the Marquee Singapore: to create the best nightclub in the world. For the experimental New York-based design firm and the nightlife impresario, it was a task they were more than ready to handle.
Debuting alongside other TAO Group staples, Avenue and Lavo, the project called for the overhaul of a space originally designated as a theater in the city-state’s Marina Bays Sands development. The towering interior posed a monumental opportunity for ICRAVE to weave together TAO Group’s vision. “[We wanted to] create an experience that could compete on the world stage along with the major music festivals,” says ICRAVE design director Gregory Merkel. “These festivals have the ability to refresh themselves every event, every year—and they have massive spaces where they can bring more attractions than just music. So we asked ourselves how can we bring the best of both worlds.”
Purple tones anchor the dark, moody color palette
Two large bars are differentiated with backbar displays. In the upscale “red bar,” red shagreen velvet and gilded brass rods echo Art Deco styles. Meanwhile, the “menagerie” bar, which is housed directly overhead, is detailed with circus animals, including a large peacock display. Reminiscent of a carnival aesthetic with large-scale stripes, a smaller bar is conceived as a wonderland—a cheekier counterpoint to the overall design.
The dark and moody color palette is anchored by purple tones, while accents of blue, red, and pink add a dash of warmth. A dynamic solution that sets the new location apart are large LEDs that showcase a wide spectrum of content. “What we have noticed in nightclub design lately is the priority put on big, over-the-top ceiling features,” Merkel says, “and while these are cool, we didn’t feel like they had a very big impact on the clubgoer. We realized that a nightclub is what’s around you, not what’s above you.”
ICRAVE looked to the grandeur of music festivals to maximize its generous footprint
Large LEDs inform the mood of the nightclub through a wide spectrum of content
