Reno’s 210 North Nightclub
Change will happen.” Sound like a trite motto? Think again. For one designand- build contractor saddled with executing another designer’s vision in just over a week, it was more like a mantra. The tale of the installation at Reno’s 210 North nightclub isn’t just the story of a little nightclub that could — it’s an example of how a group of disparate technicians “set ego aside, admitted there was a good idea,” and got to work.
Assembling the Team
From the outset, the lighting installation at 210 North, a new bar/lounge in Reno, Nev., was a team effort. Richard Rutherford, owner of Rutherford Design in Northridge, Calif., was contracted by Jill Gianoli and Rob Stone, restaurateurs who wanted to translate their taste for food and drink into an ultra-lounge for Reno’s up-and-coming class of young professionals and out-of-towners. They quickly assembled a team of out-of-town pros, including Oakland, Calif.-based interior designer Charles Doell of Important Design. Known for his work in high-end restaurants and nightlife, Doell had a vision: a smooth, space-age ambience that would elevate nightlife to an art form. Key to his design was a lighting scheme that centered on striking architectural features. His scheme was to be implemented by Rutherford and his lighting team.
The club was divided into two primary spaces: a “meta-lounge” featuring ornate lampshades and a transcendent entrance, and the Divinity Lounge, which would feature chrome curtains, velvet loveseats, a white marble bar and a magnificent glass chandelier designed by artist Eva Menz. Two VIP lounges, complete with private entrances and facilities, couches, beds and an inviting lighting scheme, were also designed, with future plans allowing for innovative balcony space and a restaurant.
Crunch Time (and Space)
With only nine days for installation, programming and training, Rutherford had to work fast. That speed doesn’t show in the impeccable entryway, which features a gigantic escalator stairwell ascending to the real action of the club. A massive steel frame with mesh assembly was flown in the over 35-foot-high space, with vinyl wrapping that created an infinity effect to transport partygoers into the main portion of the lounge. This component wasn’t without its challenges: between tricky wiring (limited workspace cramped Rutherford’s style) and daunting scaffolding, the installation was threatened from the get-go. However, some perseverance and a bit of ingenuity resulted in a form of transportation that can only be termed immersive: 150 custom lamp shades cover Elation Octopod LED fixtures; stainless chain link covers the sides of the stairwell and Elation TracPod 81s provide gentle illumination every five feet. Monochromatic programming creates an “out-there” tunnel effect that helps visitors transition into the lounge above with a sense of style and motion.
“The escalator area involved a lot of scaffolding and teams working above the ceiling line ‘blind’ from the team below,” recalls Rutherford. Even with cabling and DMX channel layout plans already in place, the project was time-consuming, painstaking and just plain exhausting for Rutherford and his workers, who felt the time crunch as they made minor adjustments. The stairwell installation also required flexibility: Rutherford and his team had to adjust for fixture locations based on minor HVAC changes. To make matters worse, his intensive and detail-oriented planning couldn’t stand up to details that deviated even slightly from the drawings. And there were many such details. From the size and shape of the escalator ceiling frame to the individual lamp shades, nothing seemed to go as planned.
“We had planned everything in detail, right down to the required numbers of washers,” says Rutherford. “We had precut about 200 pieces of threaded rod for the lamp shades and then — well, the shades came in shaped differently and we had to recut all the mounting hardware.” For a project tight on time and one that required constant response to on-site mechanical challenges and designer vision, Rutherford couldn’t devote too much time to his usual tools of the trade: exhaustive testing, data runs and planning. However, with a bit of will and some teamwork, Rutherford managed to pull out all the stops — and do a great deal of on-site custom fabrication for the entryway and the rest of the club, despite the odds.
The Nitty Gritty
The club’s showpiece, the sleek Divinity Lounge, was oh-so-simple to light, thanks to an innovative 5000-piece, futuristic-shaped glass fixture. Only four Elation Vision Color 250s were required to light the space, with their four-way barn doors helping to control the light spill. More challenges, however, were in store as installers worked on creating visual targets that drew customers’ eyes without distracting or seeming busy. This flow was obtained by specialty areas, each with a striking feature and an individual lighting style. The club’s main island bar, for example, was made of frosted glass and lined with high-density amber LEDs to provide a sense of depth and invitation, while the dance floor area is designated by its own lighting scheme of Elation Power Spot 250s and Power Wash 250 moving yokes under the control of a CompuLive system. Visual flow was maintained by five 15-foot ceiling “pods” framed in steel and wrapped with white stretch vinyl for a sleek, spacey feel. The pods help reflect over 80 additional custom RGB lampshades.
Then came the details: “architainment” control systems required over 500 DMX channels and were designed to provide complex programming, yet offer simplistic playback. Rutherford opted for the Elation AR-32 with hand-held IR remote. “Control and programming are almost always the items that end users look at as a budget item and not as a facility management issue,” he notes, adding that he thinks this is a big mistake for facilities with large installations of architainment lighting. “I would never give the responsibility of proper house lighting to a DJ; I don’t expect an entertainer to be required to handle that,” he says.
Maximize Design, Minimize Frustration
Despite the many challenges, the club was completed on time and with impressive results. The 210 North nightclub opened to rave reviews and great big crowds, drawing attention to downtown Reno’s growing revival and the influx of hip, hot night spots for the changing demographic of the city. Rutherford and team weren’t just involved in the creation of an immersive nightclub; by facing the diverse challenges of the design and implementation of 210 North, they were also participating in the makeover of a thriving downtown.
Despite the project ’s many pitfalls, Ruther ford was pleased with the results. “We’d followed Charles Doell’s direction before,” notes Ruther ford, “and we were prepared for minor changes along the way. That isn’t a slight — it ’s a compliment to the tenacity, which Charles commits to his designs. Great palettes and shapes make for great lighting.” Ruther ford notes that on a complex build like 210 North, it ’s important to communicate clearly and mind the details. “Placement of architectural control devices and proper training of the management team as to the hows and whys should be handled impeccably and within the context of the owners’ expectations,” he notes.
When asked how designers facing their own install challenges can minimize frustration and maintain flexibility, Rutherford has words for the wise: plan, plan, plan — then allow for changes. “Our experience is that you can and should plan everything possible, and then leave extra time and extra budget for a custom job like this. If you would like another detail drawing for something, ask before you bid the job, but always ask before you leave for that distant job site!”
The bottom line is, change is inevitable, and it’s sometimes stressful. Still, when faced with bravery and flexibility, it can create a thing of beauty.
EQUIPMENT LIST
20 Elation TracPod 81s
220 Elation Octopod 30s
8 Elation Vision Color 250s
6 Elation Power Spot 250s
6 Elation Power Wash 250s
1 Show Designer 2 console
1 AR-32 Memory RemoteControl
Doug Fleenor DMX Data Splitters
Elation CompuLive DMX Control System
THE TEAM
Mr. Important Design (www.misterimportant.com)
Rutherford Design (www.rutherforddesign.com)
