SkyBar is quite simply the most impressive high-end open-air nightclub in the whole of the Middle East. Perched on a slab of reclaimed land jutting out from the port area into the Mediterranean Sea, SkyBar is truly the jewel in Beirut’s crown, attracting the hottest stars and hosting the best parties.
Not only is it a true open air club environment with all the freedom of musical enjoyment that that implies, the design of SkyBar was the work of up and coming architect Sari El Khazen to ensure that people remain in constant relation with each other no matter where they are within the venue, providing a compellingly infectious atmosphere. There are no private hideaways here; everyone is a VIP at SkyBar.
Top international broadcasters CNN and the BBC have covered the party scene at SkyBar, and as a result its reputation is truly global, making it a must-visit destination for world-class personalities visiting Beirut.
SkyBar features class A artists who make the venue hotter than any club in London, Paris or New York – 50 Cent, Kelis, Tinie Tempah and Inna are among those who dazzled the guests in 2010. And with these top performers busting rhymes and laying down funky beats, the Turbosound rig is called upon to deliver to a high level under harsh climatic conditions.
It’s fitting indeed then that SkyBar’s awesome multi-zoned sound system is courtesy of global loudspeaker brand Turbosound, with over 25 years of experience at the sharp end of dance music.
Louay Agha of Lebanon-based Thunder Electronics explains his original 2008 system design: “With SKYBAR being open to the elements I specified Turbosound’s TCS-C series of weather-resistant loudspeakers, whose qualities are vitally important.”
These qualities include marine-grade birch plywood construction with stainless steel fixings and grilles, internally sealed with a moisture-resistant compound and externally sprayed with a tough polyurethane coating, plus the loudspeaker cones are sealed with a silicone waterproofing agent.
Together with the sealed cable-entry gland and tail, this treatment gives weather-resistant TCS Compact products the most effective protection from moisture in an outdoor environment.
A total of 12 TCS-121CW 12” 2-ways, 16 TCS-081CW 8” 2-ways, eight TCS-20 double 5” 2-ways and eight TCS-215CW double 15” reflex-loaded subwoofers are installed, with control by an LMS-D24 processor and sound from CD decks and DJ mixers.
The system has seen an upgrade this year with the addition of eight TCX-12 two-way loudspeakers and six B-18 subwoofers from the Compact series, powered by Turbosound’s latest DSP-based amplifier: the RACKDP-50, which delivers an impressive 1250 watts at 2 ohms from each of its four output channels.
“SkyBar opens at 8pm each evening and functions as a chill-out lounge with food and background music,” says Agha. “Then at midnight it fires up as a nightclub, with DJ sets and occasional live performances. So the loudspeakers need to be able to cope with a variety of different kinds of music and maintain excellent sound quality at different volume levels.
“Because of our experience with outdoor installations, it was a straightforward task to ensure all the areas were covered adequately and I have had nothing but positive responses. Many people commented on how amazing the sound is for an outdoor venue.”
