The Arts Club Leo's

The Arts Club has previously welcomed some of the world’s greatest musicians and DJs including Lionel Richie, The Jacksons, Lauryn Hill, Sam Smith, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Grandmaster Flash, Mark Ronson, Pete Tong and Idris Elba to name a few. So to open Leo’s with a uniquely intimate performance from four time BRIT Award winner and two time Ivor Novello winner Emeli Sandé and singer-songwriter Will Heard will create a truly special evening. The launch will act as the perfect starting point for what is to come from this daring new venue and the entertainment it will play host to. Leo’s will present a unique schedule of events to reflect the principal areas of interest; music, film, literature, science, theatre and more. It will continue to uphold the Club’s well-established reputation for excellence in food and drink through bespoke menus by Executive Head Chef, Jean-Luc Mongodin and handcrafted cocktails by head mixologist, Raffaele Marino.

The opening of Leo’s marks the most significant interior transformation of the Club since its acclaimed relaunch in 2011. Leo’s has been designed by Milan based DIMORESTUDIO which was founded in 2003 by Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci. The duo’s sophisticated aesthetic rests on the art of contradiction: it is dramatic yet contained, opulent yet controlled. The secret is in the daring mix and transporting mood of the interior. All of these qualities are reflected in the Leo’s design which transports you through influences from the 1960s. The color palette consists of deep forest greens, saturated purple, blush pinks, warm reds, orangehues and rich browns to create a true authenticity within the Georgian townhouse. Materials used include parquet with brass inlays, green Guatemala marble, pink perlino marble, mirrored and brushed steel, brass, pink mirror, green and pink velvets, floral prints fabrics, geometric colored patterns, cognac leather, green and purple carpets, lacquered enamels.

“Elegance and contrasts are the key characteristics of the concept for Leo’s. Elegance in its spaces and details, contrasts in furniture and fabrics. Leo’s has been inspired by the Riviera Clubs from the Sixties revisited in a contemporary and eclectic way. A mix of contemporary, retro, and oriental elements, combined with mirrors and lights, will shape a soft, unusual and sophisticated environment. A sensual and intimate setting made of warm colours will convey a feeling of a blurred and indistinct memory, inspired by the fascinating environments of "In the Mood for Love"., say Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci.

Leo’s is divided into two areas , a bar featuring dark wallpaper with a geometric pattern and a counter made of a lozanges grid of brightly colored rhombus and top in Guatemala green, the supperclub and nightclub. The parqueted floor of the nightclub has brass detailing. A deep hued purple carpet covers the surface of the platform, a long sofa in orange and cognac runs around the perimeter and delineates circular booth. Each booth features a lamp in the shape of a lantern referencing to the oriental mood. All furnishing are custom made – tables with central foot in brass and steel and top lacquered with concentric colored circles, or palm tree pattern, with the exception of the black lacquered Knoll Saarinen chairs upholstered with a flowery pattern The stage features a brass portal and a hand painted curtain bamboo with a louts flowers white and pink on a pale blue background.

The sound system has been taken to a new level following a new partnership between The Arts Club’s technical team and the largest pro audio group in the U.K, SSE. The new improvements include a state of the art speaker distribution system offering even coverage in all listening planes for optimal sound quality within the supperclub. Patrick Woodroffe, lighting designer to the stars including The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga and Elton John, has created a dazzling design using flowered prisms and complimentary tones, which guarantees to transform every event into a production.

Rémy Lysé – Chief Operating Officer: “We are constantly renewing and improving the club wherever we can, and we are excited to bring our members a completely new Supperclub and Nightclub space this autumn. We’ve worked closely with Dimore, a visionary design firm based in Milan, to create a uniquely beautiful space inspired by the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The name, Leo’s, comes from the reference to the Club’s logo which features Leonardo da Vinci’s head and we feel it fits with the design ethos too.

“The space will have a brand new stage, a larger dance floor, a superb sound system and of course an excellent music line-up to match. We are kicking off with Emeli Sandé and there are lots more acts up our sleeve… The team here seeks out talent from across the country and builds bands from scratch; and the results show. I’m really proud of the line-up they have put together for the autumn. Suffice to say there is a lot to look forward to for The Arts Club and Leo’s.”

Dimorestudio