Nightclub Advice

Things to consider when designing a nightclub

Some lights used in a nightclub design

The first thing that you want to consider is the type of nightclub it is. Is it a nightclub with shows on stage or without? Is it more of a social nightclub or more of a dance club?

You can plan out the major aspects of your venue:

Sound system

You need speakers. Sometimes bigger may not always be better. I have noticed that nightclubs usually have them in different areas.

Lighting

What is the color scheme of your nightclub?

Do you want a black with lights feel or do you want to make the lighting match a particular color scheme? I think that the latter is used in more social settings.

If it's more of a social venue you may want more of a lighter color scheme with fewer strobes.

See our article about nightclub lighting here.

Disco balls

A disco ball (also known as a mirror ball or glitter ball) is a roughly a spherical object filled with tiny mirrors. Light hitting it is reflected in different directions. For nightclubs light will be surrounding the people when they dance.

Many disco balls slowly spin which makes the lights move around the people dancing.

Disco balls hit a peak in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. If your nightclub primarily plays this type of music I would suggest getting one.

Read our article about disco balls here.

Dance area

How big do you want the dance area? If you're running more of a social bar you want a smaller dance area and lots of seating. You would do the opposite if you were running a dance venue.

Stage

If your venue has shows or bands performing you need to decide how big you want the stage. I think that bigger venues would require a bigger stage especially if stage shows are a major part of your entertainment. If your venue is on the bigger side you could have cameras looking onto the stage and have it on screens where the stage might not be as visible.

You'd probably want to buy microphones and stands. Read our article about microphones and stands here.

Screens

You may want to have screens around your venue. These typically play music videos, sports or display the stage show currently playing at your venue. You would want modest sized screens; perhaps 40 or 50 inches.

If you have multiple TVs that play that same content you may want to consider a HDMI splitting system

Pool tables

Pool tables can be used as another form of entertainment. Having at least one might be worthwhile. You can consider more if your venue is bigger.

You should allow 5 feet of space around the table. Read a separate article on pool tables for complimentary items that you may want.

Other entertainment considerations

You may want to consider a haze machine if you're a dance club. See Best haze machines for nightclubs.

If there are periods without live acts you may want to consider a duke box, especially if your club plays older music.

DJ Booth

For dance venues the DJ booth is normally by the main dance floor but it can be further away if it's not primarily a dance venue.

Mobile DJ booths are also an option.

VIP area

If your venue has a VIP section you would want comfortable seats or cushions which can go out of the way easily. You would want close access for staff so they can serve VIPs easily.

I think that most VIPs want to be by the stage or DJ booth. You could reserve space at the side of the main event.

Entry/exit

In my opinion a flat, ground floor entry is best. This allows wheelchairs to get in and allows people easy access in case they're a bit tipsy.

If your club must be above the first floor try to get a venue with a lift.

If there are steps outside your venue you may want to get a portable ramp so that wheelchairs can get into your venue. Read more about how to make a nightclub accessible for people with disabilities.

Also if you think that your venue will be busy you may want to consider what direction the queue goes in. You may want to make any queues more visible to tell the world your venue in-demand. It may be worthwhile to see if other venues are tempting your queue and see if you can reduce people leaving.

Other things that make your venue look good

This depends of your venues theme. For example a nightclub that occasionally has sports on the screens may have jerseys of the local team around the place or posters signed by athletes.

Hard rock venues might have skulls around the place.

Dance clubs may choose to have polls for people to dance on.

Toilets

I think that toilets should be fairly standard so I will focus on accessibility.

For optimal wheelchair usage a stall should be 60 inches wide according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA also has a 32" requirement for doorways but in our opinion 36" might be better. At least one stall should be wheelchair accessible.

The A.D.A. recommendations to mount a grab-bar on the wall next to the toilet.

Hand dryers must be touch or hands free according to the A.D.A.

You should check with your local builder about the requirements in your area.

Smoking area

In some jurisdictions a smoking area is required by law. Typically this is outdoors.

Your area might have speakers and/or screens connected to your main entertainment system.

Heaters might be required for cold nights.

Views for security

You might want to consider places were security can see the best view of the crowds to spot potential problems. You could build specific platforms for your security team though people could dance on the platforms.

Additional security features

You might want to have cameras pointed to the cash register and/or bottle storage areas as an extra security measure. This may be useful for surveillance outside business hours.

You may want to point a camera above the cash register for a better view of people's hands.

You need to decide how many security cameras that you want in your venue. Making all areas of the venue visible except the toilet is a good idea.

A security system with motion sensors and the ability to alert someone if suspicious activity is detected would be best. You would turn the sensors off during business hours.

Flooring

You also want to consider the type of flooring that your venue has as they all have pros and cons.

Concrete is good for durability but is not considered good for acoustics. It may work if your venue mainly has DJs and not live bands etc.

Carpet is good for acoustics but stains. It also absorbs liquid which is problematic as people tend to spill drinks. You can get patterns so you there are more styles to choose from than concrete, stone or engineered wood.

Stone, engineered wood and plain wood are additional options. Stone and plain wood can be expensive.

I would personally go with a floor that's completely flat as I think that this would reduce accidents.

I hope that this was helpful

I hope that this has been a great guide for you to get started designing your nightclub whether you're on your own with the help of an interior decorator.