SnOOp: Heineken Open Design Explorations Flies SnOOp to Tokyo

Five clubs in one night in Tokyo was the challenge set before us to research design inspiration for the future night club being launched in Milan Furniture Fair 2012. Heineken Open Design Explorations has young designers in New York, São Paulo,l, Milan and Tokyo researching and developing the future club. Each designer is set the challenge to look at young clubbers behaviour along with the design in each location. Things we looked out for were interiors, graphics, light installation and fashion.

Our five Tokyo designers who I toured with for the night were Alastair Townsend, Interior designer, Yukihiro Shoda, Motion designer, Kazuhiko Hayakawa, Product designer and Miku Sega, Interior Designer. It was hilarious we were all running around taking pictures and filming at each location.

Our first club was Air.

Our first club Air in Daikanyama district. This is the club Sofia Coppola famously shot some scenes of "Lost In Translation."This was one of my favourite club visit. The interiors had a large dance floor and on the sides there were private areas you could sit with friends and hear each other talk. We got there a tad early so the dance floor was begging for more dancers.

The clubs we visited in the night were all located in basements in residential areas with each venue having a quiet sign

Next stop was Unit. Here, the music and the crowd are completely different.

One of the simple design highlights for me were the lockers provided at each venue. It has always been my biggest drag when I go out dancing is having my handbag and not knowing what to do with it.

In the main area, the DJ plays a mixture of hip-hop, electro and trip-hop. People listen rather than dance, more like a concert-style scenario. One floor down, a bar provides an area for relaxing and chatting with friends. The one design flaw I find with clubs is people trying to find a quiet spot to speak on mobile phones. Impossible.

Next stop is the Ebisu district, destination Liquidroom. The first area is a large quiet bar; the music isn't too loud and it's easy to relax and interact with others. Downstairs there's a food area, once again almost without music, where club-goers can relax, drink, smoke and eat traditional street food. In the next room, a large dance floor is crowded with revelers drawn to the music played by Mungolian Jetset, a bunch of colorful and pretty peculiar guys in love with the sounds of the Italo Disco and '80s music. The crowd really appreciates the performance, dancing and screaming throughout.