The original Annabel's was created in 1963, so the club is more than 50 years old, which is very rare. If you look at iconic clubs like Studio 54 in New York, or Le Palace in Paris, the life expectancy of such a club is usually more like 10-15 years, so to have such a history and still be one of the most famous clubs in the world after all this time is extremely unique. But to stay relevant you need to reinvent yourself.
When 46 Berkeley Square became available – just two doors down from where Annabel's is now – it offered a perfect opportunity to turn the page and open a new chapter. This new chapter will see Annabel's evolve into much more than a nightclub as we will have a lot more space and be open almost 24 hours – from 7am for breakfast until 4am for partying.
Annabel's new home will be over four floors of a Grade-I listed building, and we are lucky that the building has the same consideration, so when you walk into the new nightclub you will understand that you are still in Annabel's. You still have the vaulted ceiling and that long corridor going to your table; the bathrooms are in more or less the same place. The bar has moved to the right and will be more spacious, but there is a very similar feel.
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It was important to keep the idiosyncrasies of Annabel's intact. To understand the DNA you have to go back in history, to when Mark Birley created the club. It was a different era; London in 1963 was not the London of today. Birley was very discerning, with an eye for aesthetics – he was always dressed in beautiful Savile Row suits, and bespoke shoes from George Cleverley. When he opened Annabel's there were very few high-end restaurants. If you wanted to have a really spectacular dinner, experience very classic cuisine and an amazing collection of wines, you would go to a private club. This level of exclusivity and attention to quality and detail is what makes Annabel's special – what Birley created, with outstanding restaurants, the most amazing wine lists, beautiful decor and a little bit of eccentricity and theatrics. We've kept all that, and we are taking it to another level – the level of 2017.
London is much more international now. The new Annabel's membership will reflect that in its demographic. We will be very careful to ensure we achieve the right balance and energy, because you want to have a buzz when you go to the club, the restaurants or the bar, but you also want to have comfort and intimacy. I don't want it to be a place that is only fun on three nights of the week, so it's all about building and curating the right membership with different ages, social backgrounds and professions. It used to be that people would join a club to meet others from a similar background. Now, we want to meet people from other walks of life, and by properly curating a membership with a real variety of people I think we will create something very exciting. We want to have a vibrant, interesting and sophisticated crowd. Every single day something should happen and it should be fun.
The building at 46 Berkeley Square is beautiful, but the garden was the main reason we decided to move. It is an amazing space where we will be able to seat about 140 guests. To have this outdoor space in the centre of London is quite unique. We are building a retractable domed glass roof, so we will be able to use the space every day, all year round. It makes the experience of being in a garden courtyard a bit different, because we will be able to have really luxurious furniture, sofas and pillows amidst the trees. It will be quite luscious.
Martin Brudnizki, the interior designer, has done a spectacular job of winding the theme of a garden throughout the whole building. The nightclub is like a tropical jungle – dark, woody, stormy, sexy and glamorous. We have the best sound system you can have in a nightclub and because it's underground we can really push the decibels. Annabel's is known for having amazing performers so we wanted to attract the best DJs and acts, by having the best sound you can imagine. The dance floor is bigger, the stage is bigger and the lighting is amazing. There is a champagne bar, some boudoir snugs, a comfortable place to have a cigarette. It's opulent and slightly decadent.
On the ground floor is a deluxe brasserie with windows overlooking the square and you can see right through to the real, physical garden. It is traditionally British – romantic, light, uplifting, green. It's an absolutely stunning, very elegant and fluid space – breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, a charcuterie board, a glass of wine, a fresh juice, there will always be something happening. It's the lung of the whole building.
On the first floor there are two private dining rooms. We have specialist artists working to restore all the cornicing and mouldings, because they had been painted over and over again and you couldn't see the detail anymore. There is an amazing collection of fireplaces too. It is all being restored to bring the grandeur of the existing decor back to life. Behind the dining rooms will be a very sophisticated lounge bar, with Asian garden influences. This floor will offer quiet spaces where you can have meetings, but around 5pm it will become a bit loungey. We want to have people playing vinyl and then around 6-7pm, the sound will become a bit more sexy to lead into the evening.
Finally, on the top floor, we have a small cozy space that will be a modern restaurant, with decor inspired by the botany of Tulum in Mexico. It will offer something a little less formal, a fresh uplifting take on a great gastronomy and a great selection of artisan spirits.
It's a very exciting process of creation, putting people together and storytelling. It's not just turning a page, it's a new chapter, so you have to bring something new and we will go as far as we can to add details and layers to the experience. It's Annabel's with a slightly different lens, but you will definitely still see the heritage if you've been a member. And if you haven't, you will be a part of this new chapter. But it is the same book.
GUILLAUME GLIPA is executive director of The Birley Clubs. The new Annabel's will open at 46 Berkeley Square in November 2017; annabels.co.uk
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