Beirut’s legendary nightlife scene has always been a vibrant part of the city’s culture, where the unparalleled diversity of its nocturnal entertainment acts an irresistible lure for both locals and visitors seeking an unforgettable escape.

While the last few years of economic and political unrest have troubled Lebanon, the people’s often-touted ‘joie de vivre’ has kept the city’s nightlife going, with glitzy new bars and clubs continuing to open, helping bring the city to life after dark.

Cee, a sophisticated new rooftop lounge and bar, is the latest to grace the city’s skyline, perched at the top of downtown’s Touch Service Centre and surveying the heart of the capital. Envisioned by Lebanese interior designer Samer Bou Rjeily, the club has a bold aesthetic that pays homage to renowned abstract sculptor Richard Serra, as well as Beirut’s brutalist modern architecture.

“It’s a place to enjoy the sunset with a beautiful city view, where you can have an amazing dinner, and then the vibe evolves into a proper party, when the music gets louder and people start to dance,” Bou Rjeily says. “It’s a place that really reflects and encapsulates how much the Lebanese society cherishes its nightlife.”

The design is all sweeping curves and geometries forms, anchored by a shimmering ribbon wall finished in hand-applied silver foil, which scatters the light around the space, softening the brutality of the concrete. The walls and floors are painted a deep burgundy and the iconic stool designed by Jean Prouvé in the 1930s has been reproduced for the seating.

Stepping out onto the terrace, the city’s landmark architectural buildings are all on show, from the sci-fi ruin of The Egg by Joseph Philippe Karam directly below and the lit-up church and mosque in Martyrs’ Square, to the haunting shell of Burj El Murr and the open Mediterranean Sea beyond.

“When you take the elevator up and enter the club, there’s this archway that frames this view of the city, with the iconic mosque and church next to each other, and then these other architectural monuments,” he says. “It’s this perfect representation of the city that makes it spectacular.”
Open Thursday to Sunday, Cee is fast becoming the place to be for a magical night out, proving that even amidst challenges, the city’s heart continues to beat with an irrepressible rhythm.

Photography: Vartan Seraydarian