Clapham to get its first private members club in former Arding and Hobbs store
Clapham to get its first private members club in former Arding and Hobbs store
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Clapham is to get its first private members club - one of only a handful south of the river- in the former Arding & Hobbs department store. The £120 a year Arding Rooms venue near Clapham Junction is aimed at professionals, entrepreneurs and families in the area and due to open by May.
A restaurant, bar and club space, event rooms and co-working spaces will occupy the third floor of the spectacular grade II listed retail landmark which has been closed since 2020. Features of the 115 year old Edwardian Baroque building that have been retained under a huge reinvention by developers W.RE London include the central escalators and a stained glass domed atrium.
Other facilities in the building include a Third Space gym and a roof terrace. Rupert Dean, CEO of operators x+why said many people in the local area were still working from home much of the time and needed the option of an escape from “sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by the dog and the cats.”.
He added: “I really like the idea that if you come back from a later meeting in central London you can just walk in and you should know at least one person directly or by one degree of separation. It will be a place where you can network to get to know people in your area.”.
The space is currently undergoing a fit-out costing in the “low single digit millions” before opening in the late Spring. The club will be open from breakfast to late night drinks though the exact licence hours have not yet been decided. Events will include DJ nights and whisky tastings.
