Złota Bila in Blue City: 105 linear metres of booth in one colour

On level 3 of the Blue City shopping centre in Warsaw is Złota Bila, a billiards centre at Aleje Jerozolimskie 179. We furnished it with 88 booth modules, 105.6 linear metres of seating and 76 chairs, about 280 seats in all, in four weeks.

Scope of the project

One shade over 105 metres of booth and 76 chairs

The whole room went in Bluvel 68 velour: both the seating and the chairs, in the same shade. With this much length it is not an aesthetic decision but a production one.

Fabrics come in batches, and a batch ordered later can differ in shade from the first. With an order of this size the material has to be secured in full at the start, because buying the missing ten metres six months later would end in a visible difference in a room where all the seats are within sight.

Chairs in the same material as the booths give one more thing: the playing area and the food and drink area read as one interior, even though they serve different functions and are separated by the height of the backrests.

Two backrest heights divide the room without partitions

At Złota Bila the booths not only provide seats but separate the playing area from the lounge and dining area. We did this with furniture alone, without building partition walls.

Paris is 95 cm high overall and lines the room without blocking the view of the billiard tables. Paris Max is 120 cm and closes off the areas where guests sit longer. A difference of twenty-five centimetres is enough for the room to read as two spaces rather than one big hall.

That is why the proportion is what it is: 48 modules of the taller Paris Max against 40 of the lower Paris. In an entertainment venue it is the lounge areas that need clearer separation than the playing space itself.

Why 88 modules and not a few long runs

Each module is 1.2 linear metres long, a length chosen for the doors, the lift and the staircase, not for looks. A venue on the third level of a shopping centre means that every element had to go up in a goods lift and through service corridors.

As standard we make modules of one metre and 1.2 metres, and the maximum we recommend is 1.4 metres. With an order of this scale the division stops being a detail and becomes a condition for the furniture to reach the site at all. We place the joints where they cannot be seen.

Four weeks for one hundred and five metres

We agreed four weeks with the client, and that is how long the whole order took: 88 booth modules and 76 chairs.

For comparison, it is worth setting this against our project at the Kaffel bakery café in Gliwice, where 5.3 metres of sofa and twelve chairs were made in the same time, also four weeks. The scale differs twentyfold; the lead time does not. With furniture sewn to measure, the bottleneck is not the number of metres, but the moment the decision on fabric and dimensions is made.

Unloading at a shopping centre has its own time window

A venue on the third level of a shopping centre means delivery does not happen when it suits the carrier. The centre sets the unloading window, and at Złota Bila it fell late in the evening.

We planned the transport for that time and it was no problem. An order of this size does not travel by courier anyway, but in a large truck from a freight company, so the unloading had to be matched to the centre's loading dock to the hour.

With properties that impose a schedule, such as shopping centres, hotels and venues in city centres, the delivery time is part of the order, not a detail to settle at the end. It is worth mentioning at the quotation stage, so that it does not turn out on delivery day that the truck is standing at a closed loading dock.

What this means for a smaller venue

A typical hospitality venue orders 10 to 30 linear metres from us. Złota Bila is three to ten times more, and at Stara Przepompownia in Ostrów Wielkopolski even more went in, 130 metres. The way we work is the same at every scale: measuring, a segment division design, approval of the drawing, production.

Along the way Złota Bila gives a reference point you usually do not have: 105.6 metres of booth plus 76 chairs make about 280 seats. That works out at roughly two seats per linear metre of booth, which matches what we give when planning bars.

If you are planning a room of a dozen or so metres, scale this to your size. For longer meals allow rather 1.2 to 1.5 linear metres per table for four, because in a restaurant people sit more loosely than in an entertainment venue. We take orders from 1 linear metre, so there is practically no lower limit.

Frequently asked questions

How much furniture went to Złota Bila?

88 booth modules, that is 105.6 linear metres, plus 76 chairs. Paris and Paris Max models, each module 1.2 metres long.

How many seats does this room have?

About 280. That is roughly two seats per linear metre of booth, plus 76 chairs.

Why two different models in one room?

Paris is 95 cm high and lines the room without blocking the view of the billiard tables. Paris Max is 120 cm and closes off the lounge areas. Together they divide the space without putting up partition walls.

What fabric is used at Złota Bila?

Bluvel 68 velour throughout: 105.6 metres of booth and all 76 chairs in one shade. Every fabric we offer for venues has at least 40,000 Martindale cycles, and most of the range exceeds 100,000.

Do you take orders of this size?

Yes, although a typical venue order is 10 to 30 linear metres. At a larger scale the key is reserving fabric from one batch and a division into modules suited to the transport route in the building.

How long did the Złota Bila project take?

Four weeks, in line with the date agreed with the client. Our project at Kaffel in Gliwice, which was twenty times smaller, took the same time.

What does delivery to a venue in a shopping centre look like?

To the unloading window set by the centre. At Złota Bila it fell late in the evening, and we planned the transport for that time. An order of this scale travels in a large truck from a freight company, not by courier, so the unloading time is agreed in advance.

Do large orders also go by courier?

No. We send smaller and standard orders by courier on euro pallets, and for orders like Złota Bila we arrange transport in a large truck from a freight company.

How much do Booth Paris and Paris Max cost?

Paris from PLN 750 per linear metre, Paris Max from PLN 850. We price chairs separately, per piece.

Can a room be divided with furniture alone?

Yes, and Złota Bila is an example. The difference in backrest height between the base model and the Max version, 95 compared with 120 cm, is enough.

See our other projects for entertainment and hospitality venues or explore our range of custom upholstered furniture.

We have gathered booths, chairs and bar stools for entertainment venues on the club booths page.