Just one day after its grand opening, the CA Club Cafe, the latest top-end nightspot for Taipei’s glitterati, was ordered to close down — and with that, entertainer Eric Suen (孫耀威) lost his NT$35 million (US$1.18 million) investment.
It was a dramatic turn of events for the club on the second floor of Breeze Center Mall on Fuxing S Road, which had held a star-studded gala on Tuesday.
Workers arrived on Wednesday to tear down the luxury decor and lounges.
Warning: Excessive alcohol consumption can damage your health.
Photo: Hu Shun-hsiang, Taipei Times
Officials from Taipei City’s Construction Management Office said they received a tipoff on Monday informing them that the opulent nightclub had been constructed illegally.
The office dispatched inspectors to the club on Wednesday, who determined that it was an illegal structure.
Officials said the club’s 100m2 interior was illegally built on the open deck of the mall’s second floor.
“We ordered the proprietors to dismantle the whole structure, including the interior decorations, and also declared its operation terminated,” a Construction Management Office staffer said.
To prevent the club’s owners from evading the demolition order, inspectors remained on site to monitor the operation, up until the whole structure was dismantled at about 9pm on Wednesday.
Suen, a native of Hong Kong, began his singing career in the early 1990s. The 40-year-old entertainer makes frequent appearances in Taiwan and has said he loves its friendly people and culture.
Suen recently said he planned to purchase a home in Taipei and would invest tens of millions of New Taiwan dollars to open a nightclub here.
“I want to introduce the vogue fashion trends of the US and Europe to Taiwan,” he said.
Suen basked in the limelight of Tuesday’s gala, which attracted crowds from the entertainment and fashion industries, including French fashion designer Christian Audigier, originator of the CA Club Cafe concept.
Suen arrived for the gala in a red Ferrari Coupe.
Club proprietors had told reporters that the club would be Taipei’s top-class nightclub, drawing comparisons with Hollywood’s Sky Bar.
The club’s Web site said “CA Club Cafe is ready to import the most authentic Hollywood nightlife culture to Asia.”
Local media reports said the club’s luxury image was expected to be a big draw, despite its expensive prices. The club was charging NT$20,000 for private parties on the premiere balcony and NT$12,000 for the outdoor lounges.
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