As far as nightlife goes, in Porto, Portugal, it is all happening downtown. A local company, Baixa, has recently added another downtown nightclub to its roster that already includes the Baixa Bar. The new nightclub, Instalação (installation), was designed by José Carlos Cruz Arquitecto, the same team responsible for the design of Baixa Bar as well as the Farmacia Lordelo. The space for Instalação, opened in late March, was in essence a long, narrow corridor with two dividing structural arches that support the building itself. From this 250 square-meter (2,690 sq.ft.) space the designers created a golden wire tunnel where the main materials are concrete, brass and polished aluminum. Inspired by various works of Olafur Eliasson,the team created a glowing, floating lighting program that helps expand the space visually and draws the attention to reflections and illumination, away from the narrow framework of the room.
