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cityweekend

Arena wowed clubbers this February, not only with a slam opening jam featuring DJs, MCs and head-spinning breakdancers, but with how quickly Taiwanese nightlife impresario and uber-designer, Patrick Lee, put the whole thing together. He carved a lounge spot out of bare concrete in just under three months, giving Beijing clubbers the first truly minimal party space in the capital. With the opening of Amber, sister space across the hall, successfully pulled off at the Terminal party in mid-April, Lee proved it wasn’t a fluke. Amber stays true to the minimalistic aesthetic of Arena, retaining exposed piping and installing furniture which can be moved at a moment’s notice, even while falling a little bit short in the art department (more of Winston Ye’s graffiti on the bare walls would be nice). The result, however, is a warehouse in which you can almost forget you’re in the basement of The Place shopping mall. The bar is a square affair, providing basic drink-dispensing capabilities; the dance floor is divided into a roomy, raised dais. Unfortunately, Amber is only available for special parties, like Terminal. Lee foresees the space opening wide in a couple of months. -LAM