Clap Studio Turns an Iconic Spanish Nightclub Into a Study in Pure Sound

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For club owners—or anyone with unusually loud neighbors—keeping sound contained can be a necessity. But completely eliminating unwanted sound is notoriously difficult. Spaces designed to absorb virtually all sound reflections, known as dead rooms, require specialized materials and acoustic expertise. (Think: vocal recording booths.) Drawing on that concept, emerging Spanish design firm Clap Studio reimagined a room inside an iconic Valencia music venue around the pursuit of pure sound.

Room with foam-padded walls, blue upholstered seating, and two large retro TVs hanging from the ceiling. The scene has a blue lighting ambiance, perfectly capturing the modern yet nostalgic aesthetic of a Clap Studio design.

Photography by David Zarzoso, courtesy of Clap Studio.

A temple of techno for decades, SPOOK is part of La Ruta del Bakalao (or “Ruta Destroy”), the legendary 18-mile club circuit along the CV-500 highway that captivated Spain and Europe’s electronic dance scenes in the 1980s and ’90s. When local practice Clap Studio was tapped to reimagine one of SPOOK’s rave rooms, the goal was architecturally pure sound: crisp, clear, and direct, like a recording studio.

A metallic wall with a pixelated cutout is illuminated by blue lights, with several ceiling-mounted speakers or projectors positioned above—creating a futuristic ambiance.

Photography by David Zarzoso; courtesy of Clap Studio

Completed earlier this year, the 1,500-square-foot space is covered in spiky pyramid forms that extend the ceiling, pillars, and walls. Some are made of dark gray concrete, while others are crafted from polyurethane foam, doubling as acoustic paneling while reinforcing the interior’s austere energy.

A column covered in blue acoustic foam panels with pyramid-shaped patterns stands in a soundproofed room under artificial lighting.

Photography by David Zarzoso; courtesy of Clap Studio

The updated SPOOK is also completely coated in shades of deep blue, from ultramarine surfaces to pale blue speakers salvaged from the previous space and repainted. Even the room’s lighting casts an indigo hue across the dance floor, while a crisp ice blue emanates from the bar. In an intentionally monochromatic space, these shifts in light create striking contrast.

A modern room with dark walls, blue ambient lighting, and textured surfaces—designed by Clap Studio—features a display shelf with bottles and geometric patterns on the columns and walls.

Photography by David Zarzoso; courtesy of Clap Studio

Paying respect to the club’s 1980s roots, Clap Studio also created a custom-designed sofa and pouf from denim fabric scraps. The gesture is small, but it reflects SPOOK’s broader approach: preserving traces of its past while reshaping the space for its next era.