Working on The Arc Sober Bar was an exciting opportunity to design a space that could function as both a community nightclub and a daytime events venue. It needed to be flexible—able to host everything from yoga and radio shows to full club nights—so adaptability was a design priority.

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The owner, Javier, has from a strong design background, and his style helped shape the direction of the space. We drew on his work , bringing in a bold, Bauhaus-inspired palette with neon elements and pops of red, influenced by his graphic design work.

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Working with a tight budget meant getting inventive. Rather than fighting the building’s worn, slightly raw condition, we leaned into it—introducing industrial materials like corrugated iron, which also helped bounce and reflect light in interesting ways. That eclectic, industrial approach carried through to the seating, where a mix of mismatched chairs in different shapes and colours added character while keeping things flexible. Using individual pieces instead of built-in seating made it easy to reconfigure the space for different events.

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Lighting was key. We experimented with a range of sources before landing on a layered approach—uplighting around the bar, projected visuals across the walls, and colour-changing LEDs in industrial PVC tubing. The standout feature is the DJ booth: a simple wooden structure painted entirely white, designed as a blank canvas for projections. It allows artists to bring their own visuals into the space, so the atmosphere can completely shift depending on the night.Despite the limited budget, the final result feels intentional and full of personality—an adaptable, energetic space that reflects both the owner’s vision and the community it’s designed for.