In a wave of openings, we learn what makes a club last
The Olympic season brings with it a wave of high-profile club openings, giving the city new, world-class venues that even Shanghai could only dream about a year ago. But after the throngs of Olympic visitors head home and the icy winter returns, how many of these clubs will stand the test of time? We caught up with the people behind the most promising new clubs in the city-including ChinaDoll, Bling and Klubb Rouge-to ask these nightlife impresarios what will make their clubs outlast the rest.

“A club with staying power must above all be community based,” says Ai Wan, Creative Director of ChinaDoll (3.3). “If you’re community based, your club can last forever.” Building community, Ai Wan admits, is not easy, but she’s confident ChinaDoll has the key ingredients. “To build a community, people need to know they can always find entertainment and something new to refresh the eyes. For China-Doll, we collaborated with five artists on the sculpture, installation and furniture. There isn’t anything else quite like it.”

Building community and buzz often requires great events and parties. As the former general manager of Centro and Block 8, Sebastien Noat knows the Beijing scene better than anyone, and he emphasizes harmony between a club's brand and its parties. “All my events are venue based,” says Noat. “At Block 8, we emphasize vodka, Champagne and drink events. If you just lease your club to a promoter and big DJ, the DJ becomes the event, not the club. So, I make sure every event creates a better understanding of the brand. I make promoters work for the venue rather than the other way around.” Noat’s newest projects include the All Star, a sports bar with 74 plasma-screen TVs, and the high-end hip-hop club Bling. They open August 1 and August 2 in Solana.

Our last stop is Klubb Rouge, which launched with an opening party last month that the scene is still raving about. Here, Bar Manager Ali Saidi stresses how identity and atmosphere can create community and openness. “We’re creating a space where people feel free to escape the conventional and interact with each other. Last Saturday, dancers from the National Ballet began dancing with the performers and a new, spontaneous show grew out of it ¡¬ A club that listens to the community and has its own identity can last more than ten years. A great club with good people doesn’t need to change every year.”

Blake Stone-Banks