B 018
Encyclopedia
B 018, also pronounced in French
, B Dix-Huit, is a hypogeal nightclub in the semi-industrial, Quarantaine
neighborhood of Beirut
, Lebanon
.
Back in the 1980s while Lebanon was still amidst war, Naji Gebran believed in music as therapy to ease the stress of the war. He started organizing parties, under the name Musical Therapy, at his chalet
. According to Bethan Ryder in his book, Bar and Club, parties were later code-named B 018 due to the chalet's location 18 kilometers north of Beirut. Others have attributed the name, B 018, to the security, access-code number of the chalet. Another urban legend claimed that the number or the address of the chalet was B 018. In any case, the parties became so popular and overcrowded that in 1993, Naji moved them to a warehouse in an industrial area of Sin El Fil. The club was then officially Christened B 018.
In 1998, Bernard Khoury was hired to build a new home for B 018 at the Quarantaine, the neighborhood that witnessed some of the most horrific atrocities during the war. The plot of land where the club was built was believed to be the site of the former Palestinian camp. In his design, Khoury wanted to arouse bottled-up remembrances of the war and that was expressed in the club itself, which was sunk in the ground like a communal grave, and seats inside were shaped like coffins. The design of B 018 has been labeled as "war architecture". The design included a circular iron plate that could be moved to cover the entire hypogeal night club at closing time so that from a bird's-eye view
, the club resembled a helicopter landing pad. During operation hours, the same covering plates could be lifted up, transforming the club into an open-air discotheque where revelers on the underground dance floor found themselves suddenly dancing under the starry sky of Beirut and their gyrating movements where reflected on the mirrored surfaces of the plates.
The club is one of Beirut's most popular discothèques. Known for its liberal atmosphere, the club is also popular with gays and lesbians. It is often frequented by international celebrities such as, Naomi Campbell
and Dee Dee Bridgewater
. Wallpaper magazine chose B018 as one of the best clubs in the world in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Local and international DJ's, like Danny Howells
and Lee Burridge
, have played at the club.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, B Dix-Huit, is a hypogeal nightclub in the semi-industrial, Quarantaine
Karantina
La Quarantaine, which is colloquially referred to as Karantina and sometimes spelled Quarantina, is a predominately low-income, mixed-use residential, commercial, and semi-industrial neighborhood in northeastern Beirut...
neighborhood of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Back in the 1980s while Lebanon was still amidst war, Naji Gebran believed in music as therapy to ease the stress of the war. He started organizing parties, under the name Musical Therapy, at his chalet
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
. According to Bethan Ryder in his book, Bar and Club, parties were later code-named B 018 due to the chalet's location 18 kilometers north of Beirut. Others have attributed the name, B 018, to the security, access-code number of the chalet. Another urban legend claimed that the number or the address of the chalet was B 018. In any case, the parties became so popular and overcrowded that in 1993, Naji moved them to a warehouse in an industrial area of Sin El Fil. The club was then officially Christened B 018.
In 1998, Bernard Khoury was hired to build a new home for B 018 at the Quarantaine, the neighborhood that witnessed some of the most horrific atrocities during the war. The plot of land where the club was built was believed to be the site of the former Palestinian camp. In his design, Khoury wanted to arouse bottled-up remembrances of the war and that was expressed in the club itself, which was sunk in the ground like a communal grave, and seats inside were shaped like coffins. The design of B 018 has been labeled as "war architecture". The design included a circular iron plate that could be moved to cover the entire hypogeal night club at closing time so that from a bird's-eye view
Bird's-eye view
A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps.It can be an aerial photograph, but also a drawing...
, the club resembled a helicopter landing pad. During operation hours, the same covering plates could be lifted up, transforming the club into an open-air discotheque where revelers on the underground dance floor found themselves suddenly dancing under the starry sky of Beirut and their gyrating movements where reflected on the mirrored surfaces of the plates.
The club is one of Beirut's most popular discothèques. Known for its liberal atmosphere, the club is also popular with gays and lesbians. It is often frequented by international celebrities such as, Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
and Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater is an American Jazz singer. She is a three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award - winning stage actress and host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater...
. Wallpaper magazine chose B018 as one of the best clubs in the world in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Local and international DJ's, like Danny Howells
Danny Howells
Danny Howells is an English producer and DJ. His music is often described as progressive house, though he prefers to associate more with tech house and is sometimes described simply as "deepsexyfuturistictechfunkouse". At performances, he is well known to interact personally with the audience...
and Lee Burridge
Lee Burridge
Lee Burridge is a DJ, producer, and record label owner who helped launch the underground club scene in Hong Kong during the early 1990s, and today plays at nightclubs across the world....
, have played at the club.
In Fiction
- The Cyclist: A Novel by Viken Berberian
- As I ride to B 018, a stench more putrid than death permeates the night. It tickles my urge for a steak, causes my appetite to ache. B 018 is an industrial dance club tucked in a deserted district called The Quarantine.