Cover photo: Bar. ‘Cool’ in Madrid, Spain (2001), from the book Club Design by LINKS (2006)
One image is instantly associated with nightlife, an iconic symbol that defines the club scene: the disco ball. Since the early 20th century, disco ball has been used to illuminate Western nightclubs, and it predated the rise of dance floors and disco music as core elements of contemporary culture.
This symbol highlights an often overlooked aspect of nightclub architecture and design: lighting and its role in shaping the dancefloor experience. While it may not always be the most discussed topic, light design is essential in creating the atmosphere of a club, significantly enhancing the sensory experience. The lighting engineer plays a key role in crafting a specific night’s mood, balancing colours, light frequencies, and synchronization with the music emanating from the sound system.
Dance music has always thrived on collaborative practices. A DJ alone doesn’t make a night unforgettable—it’s not just about the music selection but also the space and how it is designed to heighten the experience. We live in a highly visual culture, and what we see (or don’t see) guides our emotions and shapes our perception of something inherently invisible: sound.
Psychedelic lights & strobes: nightclubs from the ‘60s to the ‘90s
The history of nightclub lighting design mirrors the evolution of clubs themselves. The 1960s marked the beginning of this transformation. In Italy, clubs like Space Electronic in Florence, pioneered by the radical architecture group 9999, experimented with lighting to create immersive and futuristic environments.
The 1970s saw the rise of Studio 54 in New York, which became the world’s most famous nightclub, propelling clubbing from underground culture to the mainstream. With interiors designed by architect Scott Romley and interior designer Ron Doud, Studio 54 revolutionized dancefloor lighting. The club, alongside the 1979 film Saturday Night Fever, shaped the global perception of what a nightclub should be—a space where lighting played a fundamental role, enveloping partygoers in predominantly warm, golden tones.
During the ‘80s and ‘90s, dance music evolved into techno, house, and electronic sounds, dominating commercial charts and spawning legendary club anthems. Lighting followed suit: lasers and strobe lights became key elements, generating increasingly synchronized and immersive visual effects. By the 2000s, digital LED and lighting control systems ushered in a new era, allowing for dynamic, interactive light displays that elevated the clubbing experience to new heights.
From disco to raves: the evolution of nightclub lighting
As club culture evolved, so did lighting design, moving in sync with music trends and interior design to create increasingly multisensory experiences. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, disco and funk dominated the dance floors. These genres, characterized by their upbeat and celebratory nature, were often complemented by warm, colourful, and playful lighting. At the time, many clubs doubled as creative hubs for visual artists, transforming into art galleries.
With the rise of rave culture in the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s, club architecture dramatically changed. The scene shifted from exclusive, intimate venues to large, repurposed industrial spaces, such as warehouses and abandoned factories capable of hosting thousands of dancers. Lighting adapted accordingly, becoming more psychedelic and immersive, with strobe lights creating intense visual contrasts against the industrial backdrops.
One of today’s most legendary clubs, Berghain in Berlin, exemplifies this duality through its lighting choices. The Berghain floor remains mostly dark, mirroring the intense and relentless techno played within, while the Panorama Bar upstairs offers a more dynamic, colourful lighting scheme. Notably, natural light is introduced at dawn, signalling a shift from night to day—a transition that does not occur on the club’s lower floor.
DMX, Blinders, and LED: the technology that lights up the nightlife
Today, digital technology allows club lighting to be controlled remotely, enhancing the nightlife experience in unexpected ways. At the heart of every nightclub lighting system is the lighting desk or console, a complex computerized controller that, much like a DJ mixer, sends instructions to lighting devices via DMX, the industry-standard protocol.
One of the most commonly used lighting effects during musical climaxes is the Blinder, which floods the room with bright, warm light. This effect features a natural fade-out, creating smooth transitions between lighting sequences without jarring interruptions. Modern club lighting now relies on three primary types of lamps: incandescent lights, gas-discharge lamps, and LED lights. LEDs have become the industry standard due to their energy efficiency and superior colour rendering, making them the go-to choice for club lighting worldwide.
The lighting engineer and the DJ: a collaborative performance
A lighting engineer’s role parallels that of a DJ—just as a DJ curates a music selection in advance but adapts to the crowd’s energy, lighting must be flexible, responding dynamically to the atmosphere. Real-time adjustments create a synchronized, immersive experience, allowing lights to follow the rhythm and intensity of the music.
When lighting is done poorly, people barely notice. But when executed masterfully, it becomes an essential ingredient in crafting a night to remember.
