Tom Dixon’s latest showpiece, Tazmania Ballroom in Hong Kong, opened recently in the Central District (Lan Kwai Fong) where more than 100 bars, restaurants and entertainment venues attract people from around the world. Tazmania Ballrooms owner is Hong Kong entertainment entrepreneur Gilbert Yeung Kei-lung. With his British boarding school and Canadian college upbringing, he wanted a British private-club atmosphere, but without the stuffiness. It’s billiards meets ballroom, cool meets chic, and games meets glam.
He tapped Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio who employed refined James Bondish snobbery with its retro high-tech and combined it with a confident, cool club atmosphere.
From the entrance alone, it’s apparent that this place is heavy on style. Climbing a dark staircase, you emerge into a glamorous, contemporary space that includes ample seating, an elevated booth, a billiards area, a long bar, and a good-sized outdoor balcony. Tazmania Ballroom is a dark, decadent and stylish venue oozing class.
Tazmania Ballroom is uniquely designed as a contemporary space with an elevated DJ booth, pool table area, long bar and outdoor terrace. It provides an extensive range of cocktail and wine and also classic poolroom fare. Already declared Hong Kong new headquarters for glamour, glitz and games, Tazmania ballroom has set a new benchmark for party venues among cool urbanites.
From the bronze mirrored staircase entrance, guests emerge into Tazmania Ballroom‘s glamorous and contemporary space that includes an elevated DJ booth, pool table area, long bar and outdoor terrace. Interior walls feature geometric diamond buttresses to the cavernous ceiling on one side and plaster floor to ceiling bookshelves on the other, the gold-plated pool tables can also be magically raised up to the ceiling to reveal a dance floor for parties – or to allow for ping-pong tables on popular Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tom Dixon’s own pieces decorate the opulent space including the Cone, Pipe and Copper Shade, Pressed Glass bead lights and Slab bar and Offcut Stools.
The result is an exclusive and glamorous mix of a pool hall/private club/dance club/night club.
Though Tazmania Ballroom is referred to as a pool hall, it’s similar to Dragon-i in that it’s actually a smart, multi-functional space. Just as Dragon-i can transform from restaurant to club over the course of the night, Tazmania Ballroom can go from pool hall to club in a matter of minutes. In fact, with two of the pool tables suspended in the air, Tazmania Ballroom features one of the largest dancefloors in Central.
This open venue has craggy black walls, high ceilings and gold plated pool tables. The over all effect resembles a futuristic luxury cavern. There’s an interesting lighting scheme with neon tubes on the walls and large hanging lamps that are almost works of art. There are limited seating areas by the bar and by the DJ booth.
The British street culture is emphasized with the staffers attire: they wear Doc Martens and Fred Perry.
As you mount the stairwell into the bar, you’ll find large open space that can be used as a dance floor. On very busy nights, the pool tables can mechanically ascend and be suspended from the ceiling to clear more space for a bigger crowd or for dancing.
There’s also an outdoor terrace with a great view of Wyndham Street for smokers and people who want to be al fresco.
Ping-pong nights are a hot new craze at Tazmania Ballroom, the glamorous new Tom Dixon designed sister venue to Hong Kong’s ultra-exclusive nightspot dragon-i.
Table tennis takes its place alongside pool with two tables on ‘Ping Pong Tuesdays’ at Hong Kong’s headquarters for cool partygoers in Lan Kwai Fong where cool meets chic and games meet glam. And every night, pool tables that descend electronically, James Bond-like from the ceiling are a centrepiece for the bar.
The unique concept of glamour meets games twinned with live DJs and dance floor, long cocktail bar and outdoor terrace has quickly proved exceptionally popular with Hong Kong’s hip, cool urbanites. Patrons are shaken not stirred as they dance to resident DJs and a Funktion One sound system, reputedly the best in the world.
Gilbert Yeung is also the founder of the Dragon-I bar and restaurant, Busy Suzie and Brother & Sister store and cafe. He is the son of Albert Yeung Sau-Shing, Hong Kong entertainment tycoon and chairman of the media conglomerate Emperor Entertainment Group
Tazmania Ballroom
1/F LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central, Hong Kong
