New table tennis bar set to open in London
Russell Sage has designed an interior concept for Bounce, a ‘social ping-pong club’ which has been branded by The Council.
The table tennis club-cum-cocktail bar and restaurant is being launched by Adam Breeden, co-founder of the All Star Lanes bowling company.
Sage says Breeden, who was inspired by ‘stylish’ US-based table tennis clubs and the resurgence of interest in the UK, approached him in January before a venue had been found.
‘He wanted to mix the ping-pong mania sweeping the world with a high end food and beverage offer,’ says Sage.
On a ‘fact-finding tour’ to the US, Sage says the pair found ‘the sport very much separated from the food and drink,’ in venues.
To this end Sage has looked to compose a design ‘where it’s all mixed in together, so if a ping-pong ball lands in someone’s pint it doesn’t really matter.’
The 3810 m2 venue has 16 playing tables, a raised seated restaurant for 130 guests with a view overlooking the playing area, an open counter wood-burning pizza oven, a 12m arc-shaped bar which surrounds the playing area, and a private-hire room hosting two of the tables alongside a cocktail bar and DJ booth.
One of the tables in the main space is an official London 2012 Olympic table used at the games, and the others have been sourced from a number of suppliers ‘who we’ve negotiated with over colour to suit our needs’.
‘There’s a colourful industrial floor, chairs have been slightly graffitied, and a highly textured wall of smashed up ping-pong tables and bats has been built,’ says Sage who wants it to emote ‘an explosion of energy.’
The venue opens on 1 October.
What an awful idea.
Who wants balls in their face, or drink?
LOOOOOOOOOVE IT! Brilliant. I will be there!
great looking visual, who did it? looks good for such an intricut design.
Great idea – should do for Table Tennis what Cafe Kick did for BabyFoot – though obviously prospect of balls flying everywhere around the bar will be problematic – seems pricey tho £10 for 30 mins – http://www.bouncelondon.com
agreed, an awful idea and so poorly executed by the design team behind it. The faux industrial look has been done to death now.
why would I want to drink coctails surround by sweaty over competative men playing table tennis??