Located in an old Victorian warehouse in Islington, the Double Club, a place where Western and Congolese cultures meet, has undoubtedly become the talk of the town for hip Londoners since its opening in 2008. This pop-up club, which includes a bar, a restaurant and a disco, should definitively close its doors in July: so don’t wait too long…
The Double Club Bar Patio (Photos Attilio Maranzano, Courtesy of Fondazione Prada)The story so far…
The Double Club was set up on 21 November 2008 by the Prada Foundation and Belgium-born artist Carsten Höller, famous for its Tate Modern giant slides installation in 2007. This unique pop-up club consists of three distinct spaces -a bar, a restaurant and a discotheque- each divided into two different atmospheres (Western and Congolese).
It brings together contemporary western and Congolese cultures, through art, interior design, food and music: Congolese and Western DJs and live acts are showcased in the disco, which circular dance floor slowly revolves at about one turn per hour.
Created as a temporary club, it was only supposed to be open for six months but has proved such a success that the founders have decided to keep it open a little bit longer.
Why go there?
- For the change of scenery that you can find in the decor (Portuguese azulejos and Kinshasa beer ads in the courtyard bar), in the menu (fish cooked in Congolese leaves and African beer) and in the music (such as wenge and ndombolo)
- Because everyone is talking about it: ever since it opened, the Double Club has been a gathering point for every pretty thing in town as well as for the jetsetting party-goers (including Paris Hilton, Chloe Sevigny, Kanye West and Penelope Cruz)
- Because 50% of the profits are given through Unicef to the charity association City of Joy, which manages projects to help children and female victims of abuse in the Congo.
- Because the Club should close its doors definitively at the beginning of July, so don’t miss out on the experience.
7 Torrens Street, EC1 (Angel). Closed Sundays and Mondays, open from 6pm every other day.
The restaurant area (Photos Attilio Maranzano, Courtesy of Fondazione Prada)
