COLOGNE, GERMANY – In the first half of the 20th century Harry’s New York Bar became famous the world over, counting the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Humphrey Bogart and even Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, among its regulars. It was here that the Bloody Mary cocktail was first concocted. This famous establishment wasn’t located in Manhattan, though, but 5,800 kilometers away on the Rue Daunou in Paris.

The fabled characters of an early era are long gone, but the allure of this legendary establishment lives on, not just in Paris, but even further to the east on the ground floor of Cologne’s Dorint Hotel, where the local Harry’s New York Bar has become one of the hottest spots in the city’s bustling nightlife.

Long known as one of Cologne’s hippest meeting spots, and famous for serving a distinct collection of special drinks at its 100 meter long bar, Harry’s expanded its reach last year by offering notable live music acts.

Looking to install a dynamic lighting rig that could provide visual support for its musical offerings, Harry’s reached out to Sound Bros. GmbH, which supplied the popular club with a powerful, color-rendering LED system featuring CHAUVET DJ Intimidator fixtures.

“Harry’s goal was to create a supportive visuals for the live music acts, while still being discrete and not taking anything away from the overall atmosphere,” said Michael Löhnert of Sound Bros. “After looking at the Intimidators we knew that would allow us to accomplish this, while still staying within budget.”

A total of six Intimidator Wash Zoom 450 IRC and eight Intimidator Spot 260 fixtures at Harrys were installed as part of the club’s overall sound and lighting upgrade, all of which were handled by Sound Bros. The fixtures are hung on two steel pipes that run across the ceiling on opposite sides of the dancefloor.

Powered by 12 15W RGBW LEDs the Intimidator Wash Zoom 450 IRC bathes the floor in vivid colors. Drawing on the fixture’s Totem Mode feature, the club is able to keep its powerful light focused on the dancefloor, so as not to distract attention in other areas of the club.

The 75W Intimidator Spot fixtures add to the excitement with their crisp gobos and rapid movements. As in the case of the wash units, the spot fixtures have an in built Totem Mode to keep light focused on the dancefloor.

“Our client is also able to use the fixtures to focus soft colors and warm white light on performers for more intimate acts,” said Löhnert. “The lights have added elegance and style to the club and created a more impactful environment.”

So, while the Harry’s New York Bar of today’s Cologne might not have quite the same legendary crowd as the original establishment of the same name, it benefits from a powerful and versatile lighting system that could never have been imagined back in the day.