In mid-2016, Kokaistudios has completed the interior design of Shake, an upscale venue dedicated to soul music and to bringing Shanghai an innovative food and beverage experience.

Located on the top floor of a recently renovated low-rise building on Maoming Road in the historical center of Shanghai; Shake has quickly become one of the city’s hottest night-time joints.

Our photography took place right after opening. Upon stepping in the front door of Shake, visitors are invited to travel back in time into an environment similar to a soul music supper-club in 1960’s New York.

The oval shaped marble bar is one of the central features of the space. Uneven floor heights allow guests at both the front and the back of the bar to have unblocked views of the stage. The undulating golden wave panels on the ceiling connect the bar to the stage, forming the heart of the project. The panels fill both an aesthetic and acoustic role to filter and distribute the sound emanating from the stage throughout the club. 

The stage was designed to host a full soul band including a piano and a horn section and to be levelled with the main floor, so as to create a sense of intimacy between the band and the audience. This focus on intimacy and the primacy of the musical experience led to a space with multiple floor levels in which every seat, from two-person high tables to the banquettes, provides clear line of sight to the stage, allowing the audience to feel involved in the show. 

In Shanghai’s competitive nightlife scene, Shake stands out with its sophisticated combination of world-class soul music and innovative dining & drinking. It is a new milestone in Kokaistudios’ practice of creating bespoke F&B environments.