Members clubs are having a moment. In New York alone, there’s Moss by Charles & Co, SAA by Bench Architecture, and Biograph by OOM Architecture—all of which opened up within the last few years. This year, the city will also get a sonic-focused members destination, Stylus, by O’Neill Rose Architects. Joining the fray with its own distinct spin is The Maze. Founded by sober social worker Justin Gurland, The Maze conceives of space for gathering that’s centered around connection versus consumption in New York’s Flatrion. opa Architecture and Laube Studio designed the 4,200-square-foot, alcohol-free members club to flexibly accommodate working, celebrating, dining, and other festivities.
The members club is divided into three distinct spaces: a dining room that doubles as coworking space and a restaurant, a sports lounge, and a speakeasy. Entry opens into a reception area, where custom green mosaic tiles surrounded by dark emerald walls introduce the rational yet lush sensibilities of the space. The designers looked to both the geometry of tennis and the warmth of Italian cafes to inform the spaces.
The former comes through in the structural sequencing of spaces. Arches create clean yet elevated transitions between spaces. Layouts are symmetrical. Green flooring, not unlike a tennis court, runs through the entry and into the dining room.
For the latter, Laube Studio, which led the interior design and overall layout, introduced softer finishes: drapery, upholstery, Pierre Frey fabrics, and rich colors warm up the linear logic of the geometry, as does the mosaic-tiled bar, framed with antique mirrors, in the dining room.
A more dynamic energy arrives at the sports lounge that eschews the standard screen-clad man cave for a cozy den. Wood flooring, large floor-to-ceiling opaque windows, and deep sofas are anchored by a pool table. The screens cohere with, not dominate, the space.
The green tones shift to a moody burnt orange at the hidden speakeasy. Richly grained millwork, burgundy color schemes, and lighting along built-ins establish a vibe-appropriate space for karaoke, private events, and late-night gatherings. opa helped shape the bar layout and service flow, overseeing millwork fabrication and details.
The design offers a cozy-turned-swanky nightlife aesthetic for the sober and sober-curious. Toeing the line between refined and relaxed, The Maze is a carefully tuned third space for an oft overlooked community.