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The club king of New York brings Circa to Toronto
Anita Clarke
It's opening night of Circa Nightclub, shall we take a peek?
It's Thursday night, and I'm at the opening of Peter Gatien's Circa Nightclub. New York's club king is hoping to enchant Toronto and the world with four floors of art, technology, cinema and pop culture mishmash. The line snakes around the building but, with VIP access, there is no waiting.
Provocative images by Bruce La Bruce line the small hallway that christens the entrance. A blue glow beckons, leading to three large dioramas. Plastic surgery-loving Siamese twins, bandaged with gauze and wearing roller skates, sit in an egg chair. The diorama to the left features two women grease-monkeys working on a motorcycle.
In between benches, in a curved hallway, nurses stare out of glass booths, each one with voluminous blond hair, eyelashes like butterfly wings, Swarovski crystals, neck brace and crutches. Pushing through the crowd to the toilet involves passing through the Washroom bar: a self-sufficient room with a separate DJ and toilet-shaped bar.
The large main room is open so the other floors can see the dancing masses. In the VIP booth, a large bald head is atop an overhanging glass box. The stage promises memorable concerts with state of the art lighting and sound systems. The DJ gets respect at Circa; the exclusive access booth is large enough for their friends to enjoy the private bar.
On the second floor, a gold female Elvis sits on a low-rider bike. Activated by touch and motion, the
Sensacell
bar illuminates the area. Two private booths flank it, providing the interactive experience to those preferring bottle service. The Fathom 22 lounge boasts a nautical theme complete with hammerhead shark and scuba diving mannequins.
Passersby are pixilated on four interactive panels that signal the opening to the third floor. Paul Budnitz designed the much-hyped
Kidrobot
room with its large Dunny and chalk for artists and wannabees to make their temporary mark. Patrons lounge in Smokin’ Labbits chairs and look at the other Kidrobot toys.
Aside from the 16-foot movie screen, the Skyy Vodka Cinema lounge also includes a separate entrance, DJ and bar, as does the art deco-inspired Ballroom.
This new kind of club looks to renew itself every six weeks by changing the overall theme, artist and installations. But will it keep Torontonians interested?
Circa Nightclub:
126 John Street, Toronto (416.979.0044, circatoronto.com)
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