Published
Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 09:00
- John Leo Gillen's Temporary Pleasure is out on April 25th.
A new book from artist, producer and temporary space designer John Leo Gillen examines how the design and architecture of nightclubs has changed from the 1960s onwards.
Out on April 25th through Prestel Publishing, Temporary Pleasure: Nightclub Architecture, Design and Culture from the 1960s to Today explores how nightlife spaces have evolved to meet the needs of their generation.
Each chapter focuses on a distinct phase and location, starting with the New York Pop Art scene before taking in Chicago house, Detroit techno, Ibiza's countercultural communes and British rave culture, among others. The book also features interviews with the likes of legendary New York DJ Justin Strauss and Ben Kelly, architect of historic Manchester club The Haçienda.
Gillen has spent his life designing, building and running club spaces. During lockdown in 2020, he began archiving ephemeral club spaces on Instagram, which formed the basis of the book. The following year he co-hosted What Makes A Club, a workshop that aimed to reimagine the physical space and functionality of nightclubs, in Barcelona.
"I started this project in 2020 when all my favourite clubs shut, either due to Covid-19 or the slow death of nightclubs generally (including the one I had grown up in and worked in all my life)," Gillen told Resident Advisor. "As a clubber I was interested in understanding the roots and evolution of club culture: where it started, how we got here, and where we go from here? As an architect and club designer, I was interested in exploring what makes a club, what all these great spaces had in common."
He added: "The history and evolution of clubs over the past half-century reveals a truth about club culture–the one constant is change."
Photo: Ben Kelly