Bar Code is a low-energy bar and night club in London that runs on "about the same amount of energy it takes to make a cup of tea", according to its designers, architects Woods Bagot.
The club employs LED lights that emit very little heat and so reduce the need for air conditioning, and has fridges that open from the top to minimise cold air escape.
Update 20/07/07: the architects have asked us to point out that the LED lighting system, and not the entire club, runs on very little electricity. Woods Bagot's PR says: "It is the LED lighting system in particular that has the same amount of energy draw as an electric kettle. Of course, as I mentioned in my blurb, the rest of the build is aimed at making the club as sustainable as possible, hence the natural ventilation and the design features on the fridge."
Here is a statement from the architects:
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Bar Code is a new bar and club in Vauxhall that takes sustainability to the next level. It was designed by Rob Steul, Principal at Woods Bagot, an international architectural firm, on behalf of Troy Wears, owner of Bar Code.
The club is situated in the Vauxhall Arches, a site that is Grade 1 listed and previously owned by Railtrack. As such, Rob’s mission was to envision a first-rate clubbing experience that could be built-up around the existing fixtures.
Bar Code also features many design touches that make the build environmentally friendly.
Most clubs require air-conditioning to manage the heat given off by the lighting system, but Bar Code uses LEDs, which emit virtually no heat at all. The club uses natural ventilation and only in the hottest nights in July is air-conditioning required.
Fridges at the bar open upwards, to prevent the escape of cold air and the necessity of constant re-chilling. The result is that Bar Code runs on about the same amount of energy it takes to make a cup of tea.
