lucadelladora – Carl Gerges Architects has transformed a 1930s building on Pasteur Street into Clubroom, a modern speakeasy designed to reflect Beirut’s art deco heritage. Located in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, the venue blends historic architecture with contemporary flair. Geometric motifs, mirrored surfaces, and rich textures such as leopard-print upholstery nod to the opulence of the moderne style. A custom chandelier anchors the dimly lit interior, while bold wall appliqués add visual rhythm.
Architect Carl Gerges, who created the space for a longtime client, envisioned a sanctuary disguised within the city’s layered history. The client requested a venue that felt like a hidden gem—intimate, exclusive, and unexpected. From the beginning, the team embraced the speakeasy concept, but it took on added weight during Lebanon’s recent conflict with Israel.
According to Gerges, the turmoil reinforced the need for spaces where people can gather in safety and comfort, away from instability. “It’s about finding light in the shadows,” he said.Carl Gerges Architects has transformed a 1930s building on Pasteur Street into Clubroom, a modern speakeasy designed to reflect Beirut’s art deco heritage. Located in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, the venue blends historic architecture with contemporary flair. Geometric motifs, mirrored surfaces, and rich textures such as leopard-print upholstery nod to the opulence of the moderne style. A custom chandelier anchors the dimly lit interior, while bold wall appliqués add visual rhythm.
Architect Carl Gerges, who created the space for a longtime client, envisioned a sanctuary disguised within the city’s layered history. The client requested a venue that felt like a hidden gem—intimate, exclusive, and unexpected. From the beginning, the team embraced the speakeasy concept, but it took on added weight during Lebanon’s recent conflict with Israel.
According to Gerges, the turmoil reinforced the need for spaces where people can gather in safety and comfort, away from instability. “It’s about finding light in the shadows,” he said.
Symbolic Space Offers Refuge Amid Conflict
The development of Clubroom unfolded in parallel with regional unrest, giving the design process emotional depth. Gerges noted that completing the project during such volatile times became a form of resilience. “The crisis gave us the drive to push forward,” he said. “Its secrecy now gives it a symbolic role—as a haven when everything else feels uncertain.”
The hidden nature of the club became part of its allure. In a city facing repeated challenges, Clubroom offers a space not just for cocktails and conversation but for cultural expression and quiet escape. While discreet in size, its design makes a bold statement: beauty and connection can still thrive—even in adversity.
Clubroom now stands as both an homage to Beirut’s past and a subtle act of defiance against despair.
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Clubroom Reflective Interior Design Elevates Spatial Experience
Tucked discreetly at the rear of a 1930s building in Beirut, Clubroom seats around 50 guests in an environment crafted for intimacy and escape. Architect Carl Gerges maximized the club’s compact footprint through the strategic use of reflective materials. Guests step into the space via a corridor lined with green velvet curtains and mirrored ceilings, which build anticipation and subtly distort scale.
The corridor leads to a lacquered rosewood reception desk, where warm reflections greet patrons with understated luxury. Inside the main bar area, walls draped in emerald velvet pair with alabaster sconces by Pierre Chareau, casting a soft, atmospheric glow. The centrepiece granite bar, polished to a mirror finish, reflects ambient light to magnify the room’s depth and visual richness.
Behind the bar, a wall of angled mirrors multiplies the space, creating a kaleidoscope of perspectives. Gerges designed these elements to extend the perceived volume while enhancing the club’s glamorous, jewel-box aesthetic.
Custom Craftsmanship Supports Local Makers During Crisis
Gerges collaborated closely with Beirut-based artisans to craft every piece of Clubroom’s furniture and joinery. This choice wasn’t just aesthetic—it was also practical. During the regional conflict, Beirut’s airport faced restricted operations, making international sourcing difficult. The team turned to local carpenters and fabricators, ensuring that all pieces were both tailored and timely.
“The materials weren’t just visual choices,” said Gerges. “They also improved acoustics by disrupting sound reverberation in a small space.”
The result is a venue where design and function meet resilience. Every mirror, textile, and fixture contributes to the illusion of expansiveness while reinforcing the club’s identity as a discreet retreat. In a city marked by instability, Clubroom serves as both a design marvel and a symbol of cultural endurance.
Clubroom Combines Comfort, Acoustics, and a Tribute to Beirut’s Golden Era
Carl Gerges designed Clubroom to offer a sense of sanctuary, where elegance meets emotional escape. Green banquette seating wraps around the room, embracing guests in warmth and softness. Ochre bouclé high stools sit beside carefully placed tables, all positioned to direct attention to the glowing centerpiece bar. The design fosters a communal rhythm, encouraging conversation and immersion in sound.
Gerges chose materials not only for their visual richness but also for their acoustic benefits. Textiles, curved furnishings, and reflective finishes absorb and scatter sound, allowing for soft music to fill the room without overwhelming it. These choices help shape a calming and intimate ambiance, ideal for escaping the daily tension of Beirut’s urban landscape.
Describing the bar as a “refuge of refined escapism,” Gerges aimed to recapture the glamour of a bygone era. In doing so, he created more than a bar—he built an ode to resilience, style, and emotional refuge in a city that knows how to endure.
Designers in Beirut Look Toward Unity Through Creative Resilience
Gerges, a Beirut native and architecture graduate of the American University of Beirut, is no stranger to navigating art through adversity. In addition to his architectural career, he co-founded the acclaimed Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila, known for its bold political and cultural commentary. His multidisciplinary background informs his layered approach to space—both poetic and practical.
The opening of Clubroom follows one of the most challenging periods in Lebanon’s recent history, including an economic collapse, the Beirut port explosion, and a new wave of conflict. Yet voices within the Lebanese design community remain hopeful.
Mariana Wehbe, founder of We Design Beirut, sees potential in rebuilding not only cities but relationships. “For the first time in our history, we have an opportunity to turn the page,” she said. “To forgive and come together to build a unified nation.”
