UK eco-club to be powered by dancing

Britain's first "eco-nightclub" is set to open next month in London, complete with an energy-generating dance floor.

The club4climate project's Sustainable Dance Club is due to open on July 10 Bar Surya, a King's Cross club owned by Greek-Cypriot real estate magnate and Tory activist Andrew Charalambous, who on the club4climate website bills himself as "Dr. Earth" (and looks a bit like Dr. Evil).

Beneath the dance floor are piezoelectric disks, which generate electric potential in response to the dancers' footfalls. Mr. Charalambous predicts that the dance floor mechanism could supply up to 60 percent of the building's power.

The idea for the dance floor was developed by the environmental nonprofit Enviu and architectural firm Döll, both Dutch firms. Here's a video, courtesy of Enviu's Oriol Pascual, explaining how it works (sorry about the car- company ad):

The dance club's July 10 opening promises a DJ spinning a "delightful blend of Funky House [and] Happy House." (I think punk would be a better choice, as pogo dancing would be sure to generate more energy than jacking and lofting.)

London's Evening Standard reports that the club will have a number of other eco-friendly features, such as polycarbon cups and a recycled water system.

Entry to the club costs £10 (about $20), but those who can prove that they arrived on foot, by bicycle, or via public transport will be let in for free. Before entering, patrons must sign a pledge promising to work toward curbing climate change.

[via Treehugger]