After four years and multi-million-dollar renovations, iconic LGBTQ+ club, South Beach, will once again bring the party back to Montrose this Friday.
Owner, Charles Armstrong, initially opened South Beach back in 2001. After 17 years, he closed the club in 2018 to have it renovated. In 2020, those renovations were nearly complete when the pandemic happened – forcing Armstrong to delay the opening.
For the renovations, Armstrong tagged Robinson & Associates. Interior designer, John Robinson, incorporated contemporary elements such as Carrera marble bar tops, black granite, and mahogany wood walls. According to Culture Map, the design was based on the new crop of surrounding mid- and high-rise apartments. Lighting designer, Tim Hannum, also worked on leveling up the club’s lighting system with color-changing LEDs.
“I’m calling it Restoration Hardware meets Montrose,” Armstrong told Culture Map. “It’s a blend of bringing warmer, richer ideas of living into a nightclub environment.”
Party goers will also notice one striking design change: the club has switched out its planet-sized disco ball centerpiece for an 8-foot, 450-pound, rotating crystal chandelier – what Armstrong calls “the mother of all chandeliers”.
As for the vibes, Armstrong hopes to celebrate the city’s great diversity:
“I wanted to bring that back and make South Beach a celebration of diversity, where people from all walks of life could be welcomed under one roof. Gay, straight, whatever, be kind of one another, be tolerant of one another, and be compassionate towards one another, you’ll get along fine and have a great night.”
South Beach re-opens at 810 Pacific St. on Friday, July 15.
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