Upstairs at Ronnie's is an intimate venue designed to help guests lose their sense of time
Koko designer Archer Humphryes Architects has renovated the upstairs bar at London's iconic Ronnie Scott's jazz club to balance old-school glamour with the space's contemporary musical offering.
Upstairs at Ronnie's is an eclectic music venue at Ronnie Scott's, the famous jazz club on Soho's Frith Street, which was founded by saxophonists Ronnie Scott and Pete King in 1959.
Local studio Archer Humphryes Architects renovated the 140-seater bar to be a fully immersive setting for its two regular shows a night, as well as extra late shows hosted four nights a week.
"Our ambition is that the space acts as a kind of time machine, so that guests enjoying the early show lose their sense of time and orientation once lost in the music," said studio founders David Archer and Julie Humphryes, who previously led the renovation of music venue Koko in Camden.
This intimacy was achieved through a reworked floor plan. Subtly tiered cabaret seating was arranged around the central stage, which is framed by plush red velvet curtains and hosts a striking grand piano.
"In Upstairs, the relationship between the stage and the dance floor/circle is immediate," the duo told Dezeen. "So guests are within touching distance of the singer and performers, and the relationship of on stage and off stage is virtually dissolved."
Among the features designed to maximise the venue's acoustics is a large domed ceiling clad in richly patterned Zimbabwean textiles finished in red and orange hues.
Overhead tilted panels, also covered in textiles, allow natural light to filter in during the day and can be sealed to provide a more cocooned atmosphere in the evening.
Each of the venue's gleaming circular tables is topped with a traditional, jazz club-style lamp as a subtle reminder of the main auditorium downstairs.
"It is important to remember that Upstairs at Ronnie's has its own specific identity," Archer and Humphryes said, noting the venue's diverse musical billing that has ranged from gospel to Cuban salsa.
"The management team has launched the venue with a combination of R&B, jazz and classical music, giving depth, breadth and variety to the overall venue without in any way cannibalising the 'jazz Mecca' that is downstairs."
Smooth marble was selected for the drinks bar, positioned in front of dark timber cabinetry and lined with wooden slats.
Vibrant floral carpets and bar stools add to the liveliness of the space, while tasselled pendant lamps bring gentle illumination to the low-lit venue.
"What is important is that within the whole, each part sits within a hierarchy that informs an overall guest experience of anticipation, excitement and seduction, creating a memorable night out," Archer and Humphreyes said.
Upstairs at Ronnie's reopened last month following a year-long closure for the renovation.
Over in east London, designer Nicola Weetch recently expanded the Hackney listening bar Bambi with an updated interior and a bespoke stainless-steel-and-wood wall cabinet for vinyl records.
The photography is by Taran Wilkhu.
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