Hidden in the Meatpacking District, where any residential real estate is a rarity these days, Mickey Rourke’s former apartment has been painstakingly transformed, and now serves as the epicenter of the Absolut Elyx vodka brand. The 5,000 square foot Elyx House hideout sits just across from SoHo House, and will be equally as tough to get through the door. Start sifting through your rolodex now.
While half of the space is reserved as the private home of Absolut Elyx CEO Jonas Tahlin – whose living quarters are only accessible through a hidden door behind a bookshelf – the rest of the venue is set to serve those in-the-know as a private lounge for invite only events. The raw luxe space designed by Shaun Clarkson is filled to the brim with subtle branding, including the signature copper accents and even a moving, Harry Potter-style hologram portrait of Elyx Master Distiller, Krister Asplund whose eyes follow you around the room. Expect lots of Cinema Society after parties, charity dinners, and fashion week festivities to take place here over the next several years, and Observer has the exclusive first look.