PLAY | PRIVATE CLUBS
The Third Space Work , play , converse , learn As the dust settles on the pandemic , and a new way of living unfolds – one where the lines between work and play blur and community and connection are prioritised – people are seeking out social interactions in new ways .
Enter the post-pandemic private members ’ club – a curated and interchangeable ‘ third space ’ where work seamlessly transforms into a space to socialise , and where culture flourishes and curious minds go to interact , explore , and learn .
These new and reinvented clubs not only feature workspaces where traditional clubs do not , but they offer culture-rich experiences , expert talks , and a diverse community – opening themselves up to more people from all walks of life irrespective of family pedigree or financial clout .
“ We ’ re all in a cultural moment now where we ’ re vagabonds of sorts and the lines between office and restaurant and home – we want to blur those ,” says Arsalun Tafazoli , co-founder of The Reading Club , a newly conceived members-only club on the rooftop of the InterContinental that opened in downtown San Diego last September .
The Reading Club , San Diego Culture , community , conversation While the space provides members with everything they need to work , socialise , relax , and reflect ( from a library to a heated lap pool ) the ethos is what really sets The Reading Room apart with its focus on creating a culture and community that revolves around “ conversation , reason , and humanity .”
Designed for “ thinkers and makers ”, the club provides cultural enrichment and diversity in both its offer and membership – think a perpetual library with a curated selection
The Reading Club San Diego
of reads , listening room with records , and a membership made up of people who love their work , whatever that may be .
Unlike the somewhat stuffy and elitist formula of traditional members ’ clubs , The Reading Club – like many of the new-breed private members ’ clubs – isn ’ t interested in your wealth , status , affiliations , or point of view .
Instead , when hand-selecting members , they ask questions like , ‘ What would be the
76 January 2023