When the National Capital Territory gears up for its latest lifestyle club, it is only fitting that we hop aboard and bring you the inside story. A brainchild of the husband-wife dynamic duo Vivek Narain and Sonya Jehan, The Quorum is set to launch in early 2018 in Gurugram. A members-only club, The Q stands tall as the spiffing new kid on the block, offering a social and creative work environment with unmatched hospitality. From workspaces for conducting business, dining avenues, an art gallery, a gym, a library, and more, it promises to seamlessly transform from a thriving work environment into a vibrant social & cultural stimulant. As they seek to engage bright minds with big ideas, and bring the club culture beyond hotels and old-is-gold gems (Gymkhanas, Golf Clubs), we speak with Narain on this #NewInTown lifestyle club changing the norms of social engagement.
The Alley
“There is a new genre of private members’ clubs proliferating the global hospitality landscape. In a time where urbanisation and a globalised workforce have given rise to a new breed of city nomads, such clubs – as the original bastion of social interaction – have become more important than ever,” he says about the genesis of The Quorum. When asked about what made him pick the capital’s neighbour as its address, “There is a massive gap in the context of our metropolis centers – and the opportunity became really apparent to me a few years ago.” With interactive spaces being the newest member of social experiences, the club took note and came up with a transitional area. Narain credits their design firm, Studio Lotus, for bringing his ideas to life, “I believe the more transformative the space, the more effectively you can engage the community. There is an emerging trend of spending less on watches and cars and a greater value being attributed to services, education, and self-improvement. This inconspicuous consumption of sorts is a big theme at The Q.”
Speaking of a transformative property, The Quorum collates a heterogeneous mix of spaces such as the SUMAYA fitness centre, Providore cocktail bar, Studio Y. Discussing the vision behind constructing this am-to-pm space, “The goal was to create the quintessential third space for our community – and keep it engaged and activated through the day and evening. We want our members to have their social, business, cultural & wellness needs to be met all under one roof.” Looking to practice an approach that is exclusive, yet inclusive, Narain shares,“Dynamism comes from diversity, and that’s very much our mantra when it comes to the community at The Q. We want women and men across a wide spectrum who are doing interesting things with their lives. The common denominator is a level of curiosity and a certain sensibility.”
Vivek Narain and Sonya Jehan
Whilst kindling creativity is at the core of The Q, we talk about their take on India’s current concept of a creative community, “There is general creativity deficit in the environment around us – and that too at a time when creativity is becoming an increasingly important currency in the world. Even the business gurus now talk about the importance of design thinking for problem solving. If we can spark the imagination with some of our planned content, then we would have played our small part.” He goes on to share the nature of experiences that the club shall cultivate, “We have an extensive content strategy in the works. Art and music aside, nonetheless important, we aspire to become a platform for interesting & relevant conversations anchored around five broad themes: cinema; literature; business, entrepreneurship & technology; advertisement, branding & design; and media (with a bias to regional and global issues). Having said that, the content will continuously evolve reflecting the interests of the community.”
Workstation
Taking forward the sense of building a community of creative nomads, The Quorum has collaborated with similar establishments across the world for seamless access. London’s The Hospital Club and Devonshire Club, KEE Club (Shanghai), Capital Club (Dubai), and 1880 (Singapore) have partnered with The Q, as Narain puts it, “The collaboration with our reciprocal partners cuts both ways. It allows our members to access these clubs when they travel and we in turn play host to the members of our partner clubs when they are in the NCR. We don’t see them as our competition, but rather are quite pleased that we are affiliated with such established clubs across the world.” Zooming in the lens back home, he tells us to look out for upcoming interesting collaborations in art & music.
With the idea of this holistic space shining bright at the horizon, we can’t wait to see the rules of work and leisure being stirred in the capital region.
Head here: First Floor, Two Horizon Center, Golf Course Road (Sector 43), Gurugram, Haryana.
