Electric Shuffle delivers a contemporary, experiential reimagining of the classic game of shuffleboard within a beautifully designed, conceptual space. As part of the brief, the game of shuffleboard has been redesigned and ‘electrified’. The Studio took inspiration from the pioneers of electrical technology, in particular the work of Nikola Tesla, an inventor, electrical engineer and futurist whose designs revolutionised the use of electricity. The Studio has created an interior which blends the beautiful utility of vintage power stations with the lustre of the Art Deco. The fusion of these ideas manifested itself in an aesthetic described as the ' beautiful factory '. The Studio created bespoke lighting, furniture and wall finishes to produce a scheme which is vibrant, contemporary, unique and electric. The idea was to celebrate the beauty in utility; to reimagine and celebrate the industrial/Deco inspired aesthetic with a nod to the genius of Tesla.
A key design challenge was the need to create drama verticality in a relatively boxy site and to create a visual and physical link between the ground and first floors. The Studio achieved this through the creation of a dramatic void space adjacent the ground floor bar.
The main bar comprises a dramatic double height, power plant-inspired design paying homage to both the 1940’s factory aesthetic and the early designs of electrical transmission experiments of Nikola Tesla.
The large central bespoke rotating light feature which dominates the centre of the void space is suggestive of an electrical turbine and the copper accented fluted timber detailing creates the illusion of innumerable copper tubes ‘powering’ the venue.
Featuring a custom-made ceramic bull nosed top and bespoke fluted porcelain tiles, the bar front includes industrial-inspired strapping and rivet detailing and incorporates back-lit glass blocks; details typical to Bauhaus factories.
The first-floor bar features a contemporary re-interpretation of utilitarian factory paneling, rendered in vivid electric blue, which has been overlaid with embellished meshes and bespoke bronze domes, in a pattern reminiscent of electrical circuitry.
The studio commissioned artisan ceramicists to create oversized decorative domed ‘rivet’ features and bespoke mid-century inspired lighting for the columns flanking the bar. The custom designed shuffleboard tables were completely re-imagined by the Studio to form a central focus as social hubs within the scheme.
The materials and lighting were carefully calibrated to not only showcase the table as a key design feature but also seamlessly integrate the gaming technology requirements. The table design is inspired by the aesthetic of the grand Art Deco ocean liners.
Curvilinear forms in the timber and decorative copper pipework reinforce this aesthetic along with inlaid copper details, leather upholstered detailing and laser cut metal elements, which bring together a mix of classic and contemporary, Art Deco and industrial.
All key elements of the lighting for the scheme were custom designed by the Studio. The table lighting was created to be suggestive of electrical components, and the lighting in the staircase space was inspired by ceramic electrical resisters.
The rotating 'turbine' light feature to the main bar was developed in conjunction with specialist lighting designers to create the illusion of movement reminiscent of mechanical cogs. The scheme also features custom-designed, pylon-inspired lights suspended in the double height void.
The bespoke radial first-floor wall light feature further adds to the industrial/digital concept and is intended as a digital re-imagination of the ground floor mechanical ‘turbine’ light feature.
The factory inspired aesthetic of the scheme is both utilitarian and industrial, yet implicitly beautiful and works as a perfect counterpoint to the opulence of the Deco inspired elements. This fusion of influences results in a rich, layered and visually striking interior.
Material Used:
Flooring: Ceramic Tiles, Program Range, Solus Ceramics
Timber Flooring, Engineered Oiled Timber, Havwoods
Interior lighting: Linear LED Tubing Stick-Lite , Encapsulite
Interior furniture: Bar Stools, Frida Barstool, Contract Chair Company
Bar Top: Pyrolave,
Acoustic Panels: Acoustic Wall Panelling, Sonics, Resonics
