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Dressed for success
Style bars have transformed Glasgow, says Alex Lawrie. But not always for the better.
tep into just about an} \enue on
(i|a\go\\ '\ Bath Street and )oti encounter
the same cunning mi\ ol‘ inl'luencexz the l‘uturixtic \tei‘ilit} ol' Kubrick‘s IUIII kaleidoxcoped \\ith the retro—kitsch ol‘ a Bond \uper\i||ain'\ underground lair. Bunker ix a hugel) successl‘ul recent e\ample. \xith pinstripe \eneer\ and hlonde \mod. \litllliL‘\\ steel. sunken \eatiug. e\po\ed concrete and \toneuork and lots ol' lho\e hro\\n leather cuhex _\our (iranm \\ould prohahl) call a 'poul‘l‘e‘. Back in the Mix all it took \\a\ a neon sign and wine mums-crap .\mericana \tuck to the \\;tii\ to turn a puh into the hippest name in to\\ n (RG'x on Queen St is a classic \urx i\ ing e\amp|el. \o\\ e\ en the urinals ha\ e to he a dexign statement ol' monstrous \erdigrixed /inc proportionx.
.\lauche\ter\ Dry Bar. opened h} .\'e\\ ()rder in Ills“). \\a\ one or the l'irxt \t)le harx. tmderground cluh culture and design e\uherance \llllllildllt‘ttlhi} spanning a bar and the concept ol' the pre—cluh \enue. Bar 10 opened \oon alter that in (i|a\go\\. emplo_\ing the talent\ oi Hacienda designer Ben Kell} to create a heautil‘ul \it‘\\-HiUiiUli collision hetueen industrial eluh and i);ll'l\l;tlt \treet cale.
\Vhile the ‘lllx endured the ll]till\ll‘_\-|L‘ti delirium ol‘ \odka harx and It’i\h and .-\u\tralian themed relitx. the independent sector graduall} de\eloped its own \enxihilit}. Air Organic “as lorxxard thinking in itx championing ol' organic produce as \\ ell a\ smart airline influences and soothing cur\e\. Revolver neat|_\ hlurred the distinction hetueen ga_\ and straight bar in pseudo-industrial stainless steel liwry Candy Bar\ ethnic/orientaI/Smr WIN \\a.\\ hosted
32 THE LIST
some ol‘ the cit} \ hottest pre—cluh gatherings tit'x to he hoped the o\\ner\’ ne\\ operation. White on l’artick ('roxx. \xill huild on its strengths). \xhile the Arches cale/har comhinex \tlttlpttlotl\ lighting \xith some ol' the most e\perimental art and lltll\iC e\ent\ in to\\ n.
.'\t heart these designs rellected their l'unction and the ethox ol their cttxtontet'x. hut e\ en as the \t_\ le har e\ol\ed into an identiliahle trend it \\a\ adopted h} large chains opting l'or st} le o\er|\i|l and targeting hiin income Ill 35-}ear—oldx. 'l‘he ittttix alone became the \elling point. maid-\ng the aspirations ol'dextination drinkers prepared to pa_\ a premium to stand around in a good- looking space. cluh inl‘luencex suiting the later licenses that ha\ e heen granted in the cit} centre. This sudden and total mainxtream adoption has led to a hoom in \irtuall) interchangeahle sole harx that seems unstoppahle palaces \xhere laxhionixtax pose lashionahl). looking at lashion maga/inex.
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after DARK
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