This is an incredibly special project for us as it’s right in our own backyard . It’s literally walking distance from our office . A wonderful opportunity to provide something fantastic for the people of Orange County, Ca. There will no longer be a need to travel to west Hollywood, L.A. or Las Vegas.

Our goal was to create an environment that will stand up to and surpass the expectations of our client as well as our community. Through the combination of fantastic theatrical lighting, incredible sound and a totally unique visual design, we wanted to create an unforgettable experience. A place layered with new discoveries and surprises. A place that will remain relevant for a long period of time.

Our goal was to create an experience that would surpass any club in Vegas but with a very limited budget and super tight time frame. We achieved this goal by 1.) Taking advantage and utilizing the assets of the existing building, 2.) Determining high visual impact priorities and focusing heavily on these areas, 3.) Being creative with construction methods and building materials and 4.) Designing our own lighting, fixtures, furniture and seating rather than purchasing extremely expensive pre-designed items.

The building we took over in order to create ERA was originally designed as a Nike retail space during the Michael Jordan era. Although the space had been abandoned for many years, it was filled with all sorts of cool architectural details. The two-level building shell was composed of three intersecting circular spaces. These organic shapes allowed us to break away from the standard rectangular nightclub layout. By removing the ceiling in the center circle space, we created an approximately 35 foot ceiling that would become the ceiling of the dance floor and stage. This allowed us to create a huge central theatrical lighting chandelier to fill the huge vertical space. A preexisting three level staircase was removed and the remaining elevator shaft wall beyond was reframed to accommodate the custom 35′ tall custom L.E.D. wall. This wall became the backdrop for the stage and the funky “Alice in wonderland” inspired D.J. booth.

By eliminating most of the interior walls, we were able to open up the entire space enabling visual access to the dance floor and stage from anywhere in the club. The two smaller circular rooms were transformed into large circular bars and intersection of the three circular spaces allowed us to create an amoeba shaped dance floor with three tiers of biomorphic shaped bottle service tables around the perimeter. By designing a space with literally no straight lines, we were able to create an incredibly sexy, dramatic and magical environment which is very unique for a large nightclub.

We focused on creating W.T.F. statements throughout the nightclub in strategic “high visibility“ locations. For example, the main bar is composed of funky organic components such as tree branches supporting backlit bottle shelves, a boxwood faced green soffit and snakeskin fabric panels. The design goal was to create a surreal and magical environment; a combination of organic and modern with unexpected traditional components. The secondary bar is composed of honeycomb inspired hexagon panels; a random mix of backlit bottle displays and green, silver and black upholstered panels. The front bar consists of hexagon screens framed in barn wood. There are several very cool custom light features as well as a 35ft. diameter chandelier consisting of green hat shaped lampshades suspended with 2” diameter staggered rope. The ceiling above is a kaleidoscope, composed black and white female silhouettes. In addition, we have designed a 20 ft. tall champagne display and an entry surrounded by custom butterfly wallpaper.