New era for The Linen Quarter

Prestigious London club brand, Chinawhite, has arrived in Belfast and LCN has been among the first to take a look inside the city’s latest entertainment venue – part of a three-stage development that should see this part of the city transformed.

Top London club, Chinawhite, has opened its doors in Belfast as part of an ambitious £1m development in the city’s Linen Quarter.

The club, which targets customers in the over 23 years age group, saw its first customers at Halloween following six weeks of intensive refurbishment work  in premises on Franklin Street that were formerly occupied by Le Lea.

This is the second phase of the project which has already seen Asian-themed bar and restaurant, Shiro, open to the public in June.

Chinawhite Belfast is owned by the same group of investors that are behind top city venues El Divino, The Albany and Filthy McNasty’s and around 60 new jobs were created with this latest project.

Speaking to LCN recently, Zoe Watson from Chinawhite said that business at the club during its opening weekend, when a masquerade ball was held, had been “extremely successful”:

“Business so far is where we hoped and more we are so pleased with enthusiastic response that we have received,” she added. “We were overwhelmed with the support we received online in the lead up to our opening and glad that the support translated.”

Zoe went on to say that in some ways, the design brief for Chinawhite had been very simple:

“We wanted a modern and comfortable nightclub and we were really focused on the idea of luxury because we wanted to appeal to the slightly older age group that Chinawhite is aimed at,” she said. “We wanted a club that was very much contemporary and reflective of the quality image that Chinawhite portrays.”

The nightclub continues the Asian theme that began with Shiro next door. A double height Japanese slate wall dominates the main area and a series of screens help spread the exotic ambience throughout the club. Water is a recurring theme, reinforced by effects that are projected onto the slate wall.

“We wanted to create a nightclub that was deliberately aimed at the over-23 age group, somewhere that would really be seen as a good place for people in that group to go and the response has been very encouraging,” added Zoe Watson, who also said that Chinawhite were “very impressed” with the finished product.

The building itself was erected in 1902 and so the team from O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates was curtailed to some extent in the things that they were able to do. The edgy bare brick design so evident in Shiro is also present in Chinawhite and the long entrance staircase, which stretches all the way to the top of the building, has been fitted with soft mood lighting.

“Everyone has been saying to us how impressive the club is, particularly the slate wall, which is something I’ve certainly never seen in another night club,” said Zoe. “Chinawhite is intended to complement Shiro next door and Rita’s, which is the new lounge and cocktail bar that will be the next project at the site.”

Rita’s, which is set to open on December 6 in premises formerly occupied by Bar Bacca, will be able to accommodate 150 people. It will specialise in gin and serve small plates of food in a classic style.

And details are also expected shortly on a planned Asian roof garden at the venue which should be open to the public early in 2015.

“Clearly everyone associated with Chinawhite and the other venues hopes that we are contributing to the awareness that people have of Belfast as an up-and-coming European city, especially among tourists and those interested in taking short breaks,” added Zoe. “Chinawhite has been designed to appeal to those people who like a little more luxury on a night out and to encourage those who maybe haven’t been to a nightclub in a while – or have never been – to give us a try.

“We’re looking forward to getting all the elements of the project into place so that, as a management team, we can then concentrate on operating the business and creating an entertainment destination that can really transform the Linen Quarter and offer something for everyone.”

For its part, Chinawhite said that it was “delighted” to be coming to Belfast:

“We are very excited to be branching out and opening in such a vibrant city and we believe now is a great time to come to Belfast,” it said recently. “We’re also very proud to be teaming up with Shiro and bringing our world-renowned brand to this landmark development.”