London & South East

Playtime commences at Dukebox

Dukebox Nightclub- 266 Fulham Road- Chelsea- London

A project to refurbish and rebrand an existing nightclub has been completed in one of the most prestigious areas of London.

The work has taken the site from a traditional mainstream venue to one that emphasises good times and partying.

Dukebox is a brand new basement nightclub, Situated at 266 Fulham Road in Chelsea. The 3,000 sq ft site has a capacity for 230 people and features a warehouse-style interior with nostalgic detailing and eccentric touches.

Work began on the project in July 2012 and was completed ahead of its opening on the 12th of September. WFC was the main contractor on the refurbishment project, whilst leading interior design consultancy Tibbatts Abel provided the concept, interior and architectural services on the site.

The project comprised the internal refurbishment and rebranding of the existing nightclub to transform it into a new, high-end, late night venue. The site is owned by Howard Spooner and Dipak Panchal and is the first Dukebox nightclub in the UK.

The theme of Dukebox is good old fashioned ‘British fun’, so to make Dukebox a memorable night out for guests carousel horses, jack-in-the-boxes, private dance floors and even Waltzer-style booths have been installed at the site. Additional features of Dukebox include a copper drinks bar, padded seats, a roundabout podium and a series of shelves lined with traditional sweet shop jars.

The makeover of the site has not just been restricted to the fabric of the building as staff attire has also been included as part of the rebranding scheme. Kitted out in drummer boy-style outfits, staff dispense delicious cocktails whilst dressed in fantastical clothing, which combines to create an atmosphere that is part nursery rhyme, part Wonderland.

Tibbatts Abel Director, Adrian Abel, said:

“Work on Dukebox involved the complete strip-out of an existing nightclub to return the site back to its structure. We then redressed all of the internal service areas and completed some new finishes. We also created a few structural openings to reconfigure the building and this allowed us to link together some of the internal areas of the club.

Dukebox Nightclub- 266 Fulham Road- Chelsea- London

“The exterior work on the site was kept to a minimum and mostly comprised the reformation of the existing entrance way and the implementation of associated signage.

“There was an accelerated programme of works on this project as the premises were trading before the refurbishment took place, so the owners wanted the site to continue to trade as quickly as possible. The idea was to prepare the site for the work and then turn everything around as fast as possible to get the nightclub up and running again.

“We have completed work for many commercial businesses so we are used to working to tight deadlines.”

Adrian added:

“Since Dukebox opened, the nightclub has been trading extremely well and our client, Howard Spooner, is very pleased. Dukebox has exceeded its targets and now I believe Howard is looking to create some new ventures.

“We are looking at new sites with him and we hope to continue this great working relationship on future projects.

“Dukebox has taken a run-of-the-mill venue and transformed it into a destination point with lots of dramatic and memorable features, making it a major draw for guests. The work that we have achieved with this nightclub is a perfect demonstration of how someone can take a site and transform it quickly, economically and imaginatively.”

P A Schofield Ltd

For over 20 years, P A Schofield Ltd has provided specialist decorating services to the leisure industry. P A Schofield Ltd has completed works for bars, restaurants, nightclubs and casinos and high profile clients including Gala Bingo, Aspers Casino, Zizzi, Prezzo, Byron Restaurants, KFC and Pizza Hut.

PA Schofield Ltd has an excellent working relationship with WFC and has provided the company with specialist decorating services for almost 18 years.

Working on Dukebox, P A Schofield Ltd completed general decorating works & also did specialist works such as UV sign writing, sign writing, UV graffiti and specialist aging effects – to make the club look as if it had existed for years.

P A Schofield Ltd Managing Director, Paul Schofield said:

“It’s always very important for P A Schofield Ltd to be involved with WFC on all of their projects. We have a fantastic working relationship with them and we have never let them down.”

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Roma Publications