LEBANON: Beirut’s iconic B 018 nightclub has reopened with the Middle East’s first installation of d&b audiotechnik’s new U-Series, bringing a fresh sound system to one of the region’s most celebrated nightlife venues.

Designed by architect Bernard Khoury, B 018 first opened in Beirut’s port area in 1998. The bunker-like venue quickly attracted international architectural attention and was named among the world’s best clubs by Wallpaper three times between 2004 and 2006. Although the 2020 Beirut port explosion devastated much of the surrounding area, the underground structure remained largely intact. After continuing operations until its eventual closure in 2024, B 018 has now been reimagined for a new generation.

Khoury once again oversaw the architectural vision, while musical direction is now led by Omran Gebran, son of B 018 founder Naji Gebran. Sound remains central to the venue’s identity, with long-standing partner Seebeck Audio responsible for system design and installation. Seebeck has also served as d&b audiotechnik’s distributor for Lebanon since 2000. “We were first hired to install sound at B 018 back in 2005,” says Seebeck’s founder, Youssef Aoun. “We installed d&b Q-Series, which was new then. It was the first Q-Series install in Lebanon.”

As the club evolved, Seebeck returned for a series of revisions, including the installation of a wider-pattern d&b Q1 system after the venue’s concrete walls were exposed during a refurbishment. The commitment to sound remained unchanged, with Naji Gebran telling d&b at the time, “. . . all these years later we are still the leader, that’s why we invest so much in the audio system.”

For the reopening, the brief called for a system powerful enough to operate at full capacity while maintaining consistent sound quality across different uses, including quieter periods when B 018 functions as a chill-out space. “They needed something powerful enough to work for the club at full capacity, while ensuring the best listening experience possible for everybody, in every type of use – even for when it’s just a chill-out space,” says Aoun.

The venue’s architecture presented several constraints. Its ceiling sits at around three and a half metres, while the retractable steel roof prevents central loudspeaker placement. Khoury also required the loudspeakers to remain as unobtrusive as possible. With the DJ booth capable of operating at either end of the space, the system additionally required flexibility through presets in R1.

Seebeck initially considered d&b’s existing point source portfolio before turning to the newly introduced U-Series. The new solution also allowed the team to increase the number of point source positions from the planned six to eight, providing additional system power for B 018’s varied programme.

Installation logistics added another layer of complexity, with lead times affected by a new outbreak of war in the region. Seebeck, the client, d&b’s Middle East office in Dubai and other contractors therefore worked closely to prepare virtually the entire installation ahead of the loudspeaker hardware arriving. “As soon as the system cleared customs, it went straight to B 018, and was installed, tuned and ready to go in under 24 hours,” says Aoun.

The Seebeck team was also working with U-Series for the first time, but was able to prepare the system in advance using ArrayCalc simulations and R1 configuration. “Everything was new to us,” recalls Aoun, “but it turned out so well because we could use ArrayCalc simulations and prepare the R1 setup in advance. The client was amazed when we had it all installed and tuned so quickly. We knew we were in safe hands with d&b.”

The completed system combines U7, U5 and U3 cabinets. Eight U7s cover the main areas in a rectangle around the roof opening, while three U5s provide fills at each end of the space. Four U3s cover the raised bar area. Low-frequency reinforcement comes from six Bi6-SUBs for the main area and two Bi10s for the bar. At the client’s request, all system inputs are analogue.

Wissam Shaheen from the Education and Application Support (EAS) team at d&b audiotechnik Middle East was involved in the project and was impressed by the system’s performance. He shares, “Being a member of the d&b family and having been a user and fan long before that, I know what our systems are capable of, but this still completely blew me away. Not just the SPL, but the clarity, the headroom and how clean and effortless the system remained, even when being pushed.”

Shaheen also has a personal connection to B 018, having experienced the venue during its earlier era and worked on the original Q-Series installation. He concludes stating, “B 018 means so much to me personally, as it does to many others. Growing up in Beirut, it was my introduction to club life in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I was also part of the team that installed the Q Series system in 2005, so this one is very close to home. The Seebeck team did a tremendous job on this one. Congratulations to everyone involved!”