It’s been a chilly couple of days in Dubai, which may get you thinking about not going outside for a bit. But we’ve got news for you: There’s a fabulous new lounge opening up on a rooftop overlooking Downtown Dubai, and it’s got an open-air fireplace, should you start to feel the shivers.
Welcome to the Treehouse.
The new spot — opening on December 9 with a private party, then open for the public from 10pm onwards — is a new concept from the Taj Hotel in Business Bay, which opened earlier this year. They recruited Georgios Mavroudis — formerly of Armani/Prive — to convert the hotel’s spacious rear terrace, with incredible, unobstructed views of Burj Khalifa, into a lounge-club spot. He’s turned it around in just over two months, and explains to Soundbites what it’s all about.
What’s the concept of Treehouse?
Treehouse is an intimate lounge set up around a gigantic fireplace, a lush garden in the middle of the concrete jungle that Downtown Dubai is. That difference is quite striking when you walk into the lounge. You have an amazing view of Burj Khalifa.
Tell us about the design?
It’s a combination of organic, exposed handcrafted wood elements, stone and lanterns; a baroque style meeting modern design, creating a timeless feel. We did have a vision of the place, most of the places in Dubai are the same. We wanted to do something different, go back to something organic with greenery. We had the idea and got a lot of help from our designers, Creative Clinic [run by Ceebo Shah and Khalid Sharan, who have also created the interior at the new Bistrot Bagatelle, among others].
Who do you see as your customer?
I believe a lot of people will come straight after work, it gives you that feeling that it’s intimate and like a second home. After a hard days’ work, you can relax and have food and amazing drinks — we put a lot of focus on the drinks, with infusions, molecular mixology. The food is Mediterranean, but we kept it a small menu, ten mains and three desserts. It’s going to feel home-cooked; there’s nothing fried on the menu. People will come just to see the sunset, have a drink or a dinner, then I believe we will have people coming to party. It’s a venue where we have an amazing DJ, the music is going to be really up-to-date, you will have a mix of people, and ages.
What’s the music like?
It’s going to be like the start of a party, and the music will grow as the night goes on. Guests are always going to be surprised — you might hear a house song, or a mix from the ‘70s or ‘80s. We managed to get DJ Tayllor; he’s a member of a duo, Starsound, from Greece, big in the house scene. He produces a lot of his own music and does a lot of remixes.
The Treehouse is at Taj Dubai, 3rd floor (enter through the hotel). Call 050-6483083. The club will celebrate New Year’s Eve from 8pm-3am with free-flowing drinks and unlimited canapes for Dh2,250 and limited seating; VIP tables (up to 10 people) have a minimum spend of Dh30,000.
