Dubai-based design firm LW Design has recently completed 7 Tales, a new speakeasy cocktail bar on the 44th floor of Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina. Access to the bar is through City Social restaurant on the 43rd floor, adding to the exclusivity of the venue.
Reminiscent of the vibrant nightlife of Tokyo,
7 Tales offers an Izakaya-styled speakeasy bar experience where guests can enjoy the best of urban Japan with a New York twist. Upon entering, guests will walk through an archway and a large pivot entrance door to find themselves in a small chamber entirely clad in mirrors. A second door opens, and they are welcomed into a nostalgic and mesmerising world of debauchery.
The glowing lacquered orange bar, carved out of solid oak panels, takes centre stage in the space, surrounded by captivating canvases depicting a hidden story referencing Japan’s golden age movement throughout the 1960s. Customised graffiti titled “Relight My Fire. My Heart’s Desire” adorns the walls and ceiling, applied by talented graffiti artist Gary Yong, who created new and original visuals paying homage to the past while breaking away from cliches.
The dark and moody yet playful persona of the bar is reinforced by carefully planned groups of seating, including a central negroni games table that involves guests in a unique dice game that determines their drink of the night. Guests can enjoy the view of the Dubai Marina skyline through the windows while they dance the night away to underground R&B hip-hop from 90s New York.
One of the main execution challenges of the project was installing the ceiling graffiti while maintaining and managing all the MEP fixtures. Prolab fabricated and maintained the integrity of the artist’s wallpaper. Unique features of the space include quirky ‘Drink Sake, Stay Soba’ neon signs as part of the brand identity, over 250 square meters of graffiti on the walls, ceilings and doors, and stained black oak floors, slate walls, graffiti walls and ceiling, solid oak timber panels, and mirror ceilings.
The space spans approximately 120 square metres, and the furniture selection includes armchairs by Resident, custom-made sofas and banquette seating by local artisans, carpets by ICE, and custom-made marble tables. Metal screens around the corners and columns add an urban feel to the space.
The project brief was to create a speakeasy bar for after-dinner guests to enjoy into the early hours of the morning, and LW Design delivered a playful, immersive and authentic space that brings the nightlife of Tokyo to Dubai.
