Buffalo Rising Online

Nov 8th 2008, 4:07pm By queenseyes

Last night was the first time that I ever realized how incredible HENRY’s Lounge at Kleinhans actualy is. We attended JUICY, a fundraiser soiree held for the Burchfield Penney Art Center - the event took place after the formal gala/auction dinner held upstairs from the lounge. It's not like I didn't realize that HENRY's was there... in the past I only really walked through it to get to the downstairs lavatory. And even then, the place never, ever looked like it did last night.

First of all, HENRY's bar is one of the baddest set-ups in the city. The ever-changing colored, illuminated glass back-splash is reminiscent of something Ian Schrager would have designed for one of his hotels. At certain times I felt like I was standing in the Korova Milk Bar from Clockwork Orange. At other moments there were hints of a completely different era... picture the scene in The Shining when Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) meets Lloyd the bartender at the Overlook Hotel (The Timberline Lodge).

The contemporary lighting elements at HENRYs are brilliant. Thanks to the omnipresent, glowing, round recesses in the ceiling, there was really no other need for further lighting installations. The circular elements of the Saarinen-designed building carry over to the lounge adding a soft touch to everything, including the people. The large room is counterbalanced with low ceilings, making for an overall comfortable and surreal experience. The JUICY layout was broken up into myriad pockets where guests could either dance to the sounds of Bev-Beverly and Fashion Expo 1990 (photo), or get intimate with the Configuration Dance performers.

HENRY's was designed by the architecture firm Hamilton Houston Lownie and completed in the year 2000 (download design details). It boasts a seating capacity of 124 and is outfitted with a full-service commercial kitchen. The lounge is mainly used by Philharmonic-goers, but was also constructed for fine dining occasions, private parties, seminars and meetings. In the future, I hope to attend a few more of these JUICY-style events - HENRY's is, hands down, the coolest lounge in the city and should be utilized in this fashion as often as the venue allows.