Dorock XL is a concert hall, bar and pub we designed in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, in 2018. In this bar design project we brought concerts, the bar and social gathering together in a single hall, so we addressed the stage, the bar and circulation together.
Bar Design: Stage at One End, Bar at the Other
We laid out the hall along a long axis. The stage sits at one end, next to the dressing rooms and artists' entrance, so performers reach the stage without entering guest areas. The bar is at the opposite end, in a separate wing, so the crowd at the bar does not block the view of the stage. The guest entrance opens between these two zones, with the DJ booth on the bar side. Dark materials, industrial details and strong lighting carry the same language across floor, walls and bar counter.
Acoustics and Light
Acoustic needs were taken into account from the very start, working with a specialist external consultant and using materials on the wall surfaces that support the acoustics. The lighting scheme separates concert moments from social moments, so the hall can turn from a concert venue into a bar in the same night.
Materials and Industrial Language
Concert halls see heavy use, so durability mattered as much as aesthetics in our material choices. Dark surfaces highlight the stage lighting while keeping the rest of the hall in the background, and industrial details create a natural link with Beşiktaş's music and nightlife culture. We carried the same language into the bar counter, so the bar reads as part of the space rather than a separate piece of furniture, a consistency that offers a flexible setting for a hall hosting different kinds of music.
Why Is Bar and Pub Design Different in a Concert Hall?
In a concert hall, the bar is the busiest point of the night, because most guests head there at the same time between sets. So we had three priorities: fast service, easy circulation between stage and bar, and a position that does not block the view of the stage. The bar also has to work as the social heart of the venue when there is no concert. In short, good bar design speeds up service without disrupting the flow of the concert.
For more of our bar and pub work, take a look at our 6:45 Kaybedenler Kulübü project. You can also explore all our restaurant, bar and café projects on one page, and read about our design process for nightlife venues on our restaurant and bar design page.
Our experience in bar design goes back to 1996: Cool Bar in Levent was featured in the January 1996 issue of Maison Française under the title "A Cool Venue in Levent". CO Mimarlık in the Press →
