I used to think that bars, restaurants, coworks.. etc need to have high end design to fulfill their users’ needs and compete in the sea of options… however, my recent experiences in Malaysia proved me wrong.
Yes, it’s possible to DESIGN for comfort, function, and a sense of awe..
It’s also possible to elicit intellectual and emotional responses to some degree
But a VIBE can’t be manufactured. It’s that intangible, elusive quality which gives a hole in the wall cult status.
The magic of: mind X soul X connection
Knowing your PEOPLE (not audience, because we are individual humans, not personally un-identifiable data points)
Having a passion and sharing it
Showing up consistently
Being kind and welcoming
It was in Kuala Lumpur, where I learned that a tiny hole in the wall space the size of a studio flat tucked into the back of a nondescript building can take the crowd squeezed into it on incredible journeys every weekend (no drugs- the death penalty kind of dampens the demand).
I don’t even think the walls were painted and it didn’t matter.
It had as much and as little furniture as its function required.
DIY cushions with low tables easily pushed away when the crowd broke out into dance.
Clusters of seats of various shapes arranged to accommodate different group sizes.
Posters like battle scars plastered on the walls – Memories reinforcing the cult.
And then there was the bar-restaurant-pool house-coffee shop situation called the Rabbit Hole.
An oasis of calm and cool – literal and figurative – in the midst of KL’s busiest night food market.
It moves to its own rhythm:
K-Pop drama on the telly
Christmas galore against the raw concrete walls
Gigantic techno white rabbit sculpture presiding over the sunken interior space,
Spilling out onto the terrace with a swimming pool..
Little nooks and tables with countless influencer wanna-bes capturing its cool aura from every angle.
And the last one I’ll share for now… on the 4th floor of a shopping mall…
all the way in the back,
behind a door plastered with stickers…
lies a stylish,
enigmatic,
upscale yet vibey,
you-can-never-be-cool-enough-for-it-yet-unexpectedly-friendly cocktail lounge.
This impossibly cool bar, named among Asia’s Top50 bars, is Three X Co.
Of course, it’s beautifully designed but the magic is somewhere in the air, the people, the insanely interesting menu, and the personal connection the place builds with you the moment you walk through its thick red curtained doors.
What I’m trying to say is, don’t over-design.
DO overthink the purpose, function and feeling you want to convey in your space.
Design for function and emotion
Human scaled and centric
Humans want to be in spaces that feel human.
It is possible to create incredible energy in almost any space. Even the tiniest and the most humble ones have the ability to bring us endless joy, discoveries, and opportunities for connection.
I’ll leave you with these two quotes:
“Buildings as celebrations of humanity, of human needs, wants and actions”
– Thomas Heatherwick, Humanize
“An interior is the natural projection of the soul”
– Coco Chanel