JOSEPHINE

Josephine is open from Wednesday through to Saturday and has 22 tables for their popular bottle service with reservations fees dependant upon your party size. They also welcome business parties who have agreed they will spend a few hundred dollars during the evening. If you’re not lucky enough or rich enough to fall into one of those categories then you’ll need to stand in an orderly fashion in the queue outside. Once inside though, you will not be disappointed.

Josephine has a main room which plays tribal house music and is decorated in vibrant colours with illuminated flock wallpaper, plush furniture and ornate chandeliers, all based on sumptuous 19th century French opulence. Downstairs is the Gold Room which boasts a long gold tile bar, mirrored tables and gold toned sofas. It also has a gold framed window which sits in a rolling wall, this can be used to section off an area for a private party. Clubbers experiencing this section of the venue will enjoy a play list full of hip-hop.

Interior design and installer company BAHA Design have a long standing relationship with Josephine owners, Alain Kalantar and David Karim, who told Alex Haje (heading up this project for BAHA), they wanted “the best sound system in the city.” In response Haje installed 12 EAW Avalon loudspeakers supplemented by six further EAW subwoofers driven by two Lab.gruppen fP 6400 and five fP 3400 power amplifiers with processing from Dolby Lake. Lab.gruppen’s Matching Load System allows the user control over power transfer into individual speaker loads, thereby guaranteeing performance and reliability whatever the impedance.

Co-owner Kalantar added a further design brief to the project, he wanted “to move away from the minimalist trend towards a classic design with contemporary style creating an inviting environment associated with luxury.” Haje combined this idea with a practical and technical balance to make a winning combination. He said: “The main issue was overcoming the limitations imposed by the height restrictions and the many structural supporting columns and beams in the space. My partner, Mood Bacho, was integral to the project’s success with his background in installation, construction, and nightlife venues. He brings years of experience to the table working at clubs and lounges; which contributes greatly during the design and installation phases.” Brian Miller of Studios Architecture also contributed to the design.

Kalantar, who first venture as an owner comes in the form of Josephine, and his business partner Karim told Haje they wanted “high end equipment that is loud enough to bring the energy but clear enough to be able to carry on a conversation.” Haje’s solution was to “choose the EAW Avalon Series for its space-saving design and superior sound production for club systems and an amplifier capable of matching and reproducing that quality, so we selected Lab.gruppen. We specifically chose the fP 6400 and fP 3400 from Lab.gruppen’s renowned fP Series because of the Class TD® architecture and the flexibility offered by their Matching Load System (MLS™) feature.”

Haje was pleased to see a review in the Washingtion Post crediting his work at the club; They described the sound system as ‘amongst the best in the city, with crisp highs and deep bass no matter where you stand.’ He was surprised to say the least that they specifically made reference to the sound system in a non-audio review. He said: “It’s rare that the sound system itself gets mention, so we take that as a double compliment!”

Haje also had a part to play in the lighting design. However he contracted in a private installer to carry out the installation of the products. The biggest challenging for the lighting design was again the columns throughout the space, Haje wanted to make them a part of the club instead trying to disguise them. LEDs were used to illuminate the individual columns and they also assisted in highlighting the patterns on each one. An Elation Octopod System was also installed at the club along with moving heads to brighten the dancefloor.

Overall Haje is very pleased with the finished club, and he believes he achieved even more than he set out to do. He says, “personally I’m extremely pleased.” The owners also appear to be very satisfied with the end result, and feel that Josephine will be a great    success.