Silencio (Paris Club)
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2018 6:08 pm
Has anyone on here been able to visit the club that DKL designed? I was on holiday in Paris last week, so of course I made it a point to drop in. It seems that the club is open only to members at the beginning of the evening (it’s an exclusive artists-only membership), but it then opens to the general public from 11pm to 3am. We dropped in close to 11 on Friday. My significant other and I were coming from dinner, and—too full to finish the cheese course and afraid to be “ugly Americans” and ask for a doggy bag—had covertly tucked the remains of the cheese block into her handbag. It felt appropriately Lynchian to be entering an exclusive Parisian club carrying a concealed piece of cheese (Jerry Horne would no doubt approve). I won’t talk too much about the process of finding the entrance, because it’s part of the fun and I don’t want to spoil the experience, but suffice it to say there isn’t a sign and it’s a pretty moody edifice/block to explore. We had read that the bouncer will routinely refuse entry based solely on his own snap judgment of people, seemingly arbitrarily, but that he tends to favor attractive well-dressed women and interesting-seeming men. I guess myself and/or my partner fit the bill, because after scrutinizing us for several seconds (and soliciting an approving nod from some other guy with a cane sitting behind him), the bouncer waved us through. We did hear the bouncer refuse the people behind us, and when they presumably asked why, he gruffly responded, “Because that’s the way it is.” Sadly, he didn’t search the handbag. It’s worth noting that there is no entry fee — you’re either in, gratis, or you’re not.
Once inside, you go down several flights of stairs underground. The club is dimly lit and has several intimate spaces, each with their own mood and vibe. The room we favored had an arch-shaped ceiling, and the wall/ceiling was made up of gold-painted blocks of wood, protruding at various uneven lengths to create an interesting, textured space. We arrived soon after the club opened to the public for the night, and pretty much had the place to ourselves along with a few others. The room was strewn with dozens of nice coffee table books which appeared to all be books of avant garde art and photography. There was a larger space with a stage where concerts occur for members, but when we were there, a DJ was playing fairly generic chill club music—nothing too interesting or moody. My other favorite space was the smoking room, which was filled with various pieces of wood installed floor-to-ceiling, cut and painted to resemble thin, twisting tree trunks, with ashtrays and chairs attached. The drink selection was not extensive, but solid enough. The bartenders seemed to be very newly hired (they were consulting with one another on fairly basic drink orders), but very pleasant to talk to. Unlike everyone else who worked there, who seemed to be playing up the club’s air of mystery and exclusivity, the bartenders were a refreshingly goofy break, very down to earth.
I did sneak into the movie theater (the entrance to which is a “secret door” in what appears to be a black wall). Nothing was playing—again, I believe the theater only operates during the “members-only” portion of the night—but the lights were up, so I snuck a photo (the one photo I dared take—there is a strict “no pictures” policy throughout the club). I also sat in the theater for a few minutes and soaked the space in. As a cinephile and former movie theater manager, it was a thrill to sit in a theater space designed by my favorite director. I also snagged a single-sheet programme someone had left behind for the evening’s entertainment (apparently a programme curated by author Olivier Steiner, dubbed “Soirée X-plose”), a neat little souvenir.
The place was starting to fill up when we left around midnight and I imagine the vibe becomes more kinetic as the night goes on, so I would definitely recommend getting there early if you want to explore and soak in the space at your leisure.
Once inside, you go down several flights of stairs underground. The club is dimly lit and has several intimate spaces, each with their own mood and vibe. The room we favored had an arch-shaped ceiling, and the wall/ceiling was made up of gold-painted blocks of wood, protruding at various uneven lengths to create an interesting, textured space. We arrived soon after the club opened to the public for the night, and pretty much had the place to ourselves along with a few others. The room was strewn with dozens of nice coffee table books which appeared to all be books of avant garde art and photography. There was a larger space with a stage where concerts occur for members, but when we were there, a DJ was playing fairly generic chill club music—nothing too interesting or moody. My other favorite space was the smoking room, which was filled with various pieces of wood installed floor-to-ceiling, cut and painted to resemble thin, twisting tree trunks, with ashtrays and chairs attached. The drink selection was not extensive, but solid enough. The bartenders seemed to be very newly hired (they were consulting with one another on fairly basic drink orders), but very pleasant to talk to. Unlike everyone else who worked there, who seemed to be playing up the club’s air of mystery and exclusivity, the bartenders were a refreshingly goofy break, very down to earth.
I did sneak into the movie theater (the entrance to which is a “secret door” in what appears to be a black wall). Nothing was playing—again, I believe the theater only operates during the “members-only” portion of the night—but the lights were up, so I snuck a photo (the one photo I dared take—there is a strict “no pictures” policy throughout the club). I also sat in the theater for a few minutes and soaked the space in. As a cinephile and former movie theater manager, it was a thrill to sit in a theater space designed by my favorite director. I also snagged a single-sheet programme someone had left behind for the evening’s entertainment (apparently a programme curated by author Olivier Steiner, dubbed “Soirée X-plose”), a neat little souvenir.
The place was starting to fill up when we left around midnight and I imagine the vibe becomes more kinetic as the night goes on, so I would definitely recommend getting there early if you want to explore and soak in the space at your leisure.