INSTALL STORY: NIGHT CLUB
Milind Raorane Sets the Tone at ToyRoom Mumbai
ToyRoom outfitted its second outpost in Mumbai with Electro-Acoustic Design
Consultant Milind Raorane to deploy a comprehensive Sound and Audio design that would enhance
the
unapparelled ambience of the nightclub. PALM +AV-ICN Reports.
Outline Mantas-28 FOH were deployed on the axis to complement the proactive
playfulness of the space
Located in Kalina, Mumbai, Toy-Room Mumbai is established on the
premises of the vibrant and stylish Grand Hyatt, one of Mumbai's sophisticated leisure and business
destinations. ToyRoom Mumbai is the second project in India, launched after the success of its first
outpost at Aerocity in Delhi.
ToyRoom is popularly known for its exciting nightclub experience focusing on delivering premium
hospitality while retaining its proactive playfulness. The design and conceptualization bring an
upscale sensation in Mumbai that progresses from a high-energy bar into a hip-hop bar as the night
sets.
ToyRoom is present in eight different countries and is recognized as one of the biggest and hottest
UK-based international entertainment brands, operating in London, Dubai, Istanbul, Rome, Mykonos,
Athens, Sau Paulo and now India. ToyRoom was brought to India by Ashis & Sikha
Begwania with
Hospitality Entrepreneur Akshay Anand.
Since 2018 Milind Raorane, Electro-Acoustic Design Consultant at Soundframe, has been working with
Akshay Anand - Campbell Lounges & Beverages as an Interventional Acoustic
Consultant, helping the
team eradicate real-time errors. For this project, Raorane was consulting on acoustic and sound
solutions. Milind provided his expertise in the Delhi outlet of ToyRoom, the success of which landed
him an offer to design the acoustics and audio for the Mumbai ToyRoom project.
ToyRoom houses the ultimate setting for chic, fashionable party-goers with a fluid bar that acts as
a central focal point with multiple dancing platforms. Reproducing the London flagship, edgy
hip-hop-inspired graffiti murals cover the walls with indulgent cocktails, decadent interiors, and
slightly liberated 'Frank the Bear' as their mascot delivering an unparalleled ambience from any
other nightclub in India
The club holds a capacity of 450-person and has quirky interiors that complement the aesthetics of
ToyRoom. The layout encompasses a grand entrance lobby with a merchandise area, and ornate with an
art piece on the right is a ToyRoom rendition of the classic Last Supper painting. The narrow
passage of the lobby leads towards an L-shaped main hall with a big curvilinear island bar with
Frank- The ToyRoom Mascot on the entire bar front, which has approximately 2000 teddy bears stuffed
in it. The club stands out internationally for placing children's toys in an entertainment setting
for adults, bringing out the contrast between innocence and naughtiness.
ToyRoom Club incorporated with edgy hip-hop inspired graffiti murals and a fluid
bar with multiple dancing platforms
The USP of the space has DMX controlled ceiling light that syncs with the music, which turns around
the ambience at night and gives an upmarket and elevated vibe to the place. There is a disco cloud
lighting feature that dissipates millions of fractal light dots onto the entire space highlighting
the eclectic interiors. The club has several VIP corners colligated with the main hall that adds
exclusive vibes and a separate private lounge on the upper level for hosting larger gatherings
overlooking the main hall. Milind started conceptualizing the design in May 2021 and overcame
several challenging hurdles to install and calibrate the system, which took eight months to complete
amid the second wave of the pandemic. By December 2021, the club was ready for people to experience
the nightlife at ToyRoom Mumbai.
The challenging aspect of this project was to deduce a rugged sound design that would offer
dispersion and coverage with no spillage of sound beyond the club premises. The prime task for
Milind was to craft a solution that would enable sound abatement whilst maintaining optimum
frequency.
"In the earlier run, Hyatt has faced severe noise-conduction issues. ToyRoom Mumbai is inside Hyatt
premises, surrounded by guests accommodating the building and various offices adjacent to the club,
which created a challenge to execute the high-energy club's sound architecture and design. Sound
design is an aspect we enrolled in later as the project progressed with installation and
calibration," said, Milind.
Milind had received ACAD drawings and 3D renders of the club's premises for a better understanding.
The Hyatt team also shared the structural layout and details of the noise-conduction issues with
him. Milind said, "Sound-Isolation design in a pre-existing establishment is a tight rope because
the structural load and space to build additional barriers are limited. There are existing services
of the primary structure that one can't change or negotiate," he further adds, "the acoustic
isolation walls were built first to be followed by interior design details. The ceiling was sprayed
with acoustic plaster for reverberation control and made a customized acoustic door for the main
entrance. We formed an "air-lock lobby"at the entrance to mitigate the sound escaping the main
entrance that doubles up as a hostess desk."
BSS-BLU100 DSP Controller and Pioneer CDJ2000NXS with DJM900NXS was deployed to
deliver explicit tonal quality
The sound design is unique given the architectural design of the premises. It has an open ceiling
design completely occupied with HVAC ducts and theme-mood lighting fixtures. The design layout
restricted the deployment of conventional FOH loudspeaker arrangements."We divided the space
laterally and created two mirrored zones. The FOH (Mantas28 cluster) is on the same axis facing the
DJ (against the conventional practice of placing alongside the DJ). Here we had a fringe benefit of
the FOH loudspeakers dualling as Monitors for the DJ. He gets to hear the explicit tonal quality of
the sound as the guests on the floor." Said Milind.
The sound system deployed at the club were Outline Mantas-28 -4box per side,
Eidos-s218 SUBs
3nos, Outline Eidos-12 Full range tops 4 nos , as side-fills, Eidos-Idos S118
2nos as fill-Subs,
Outline X4 3nos AMPs, BSS-BLU100 DSP Controller and Pioneer CDJ2000NXS
with DJM900NXS.
"The project was challenging, given the acoustic architecture and the environment of the club, but
achieving the right sound and acoustic design that did not compromise the high energy sound in the
club space was a fruitful experience," concludes Milind.