d&b’s brand-new U-Series marks Middle East first for Beirut’s celebrated B 018 nightclub.
The return of the celebrated B 018 nightclub marks the Middle East’s first installation of d&b audiotechnik’s brand-new U-Series – thanks to long-standing Lebanese partner Seebeck Audio and some truly remarkable collaboration . . .
Designed by architect Bernard Khoury and named after the beach-side chalet where his cousin Naji Gebran once held ‘musicotherapy’ sessions, B 018 is a bunker-like structure in Beirut’s port area, first opened in 1998. It was soon celebrated by architectural journals everywhere and voted one of the world’s best clubs by Wallpaper, the international design magazine, three times from 2004 to 2006.
Later, after the Beirut port explosion of 2020 devastated the area but left the underground bunker largely intact, it struggled on until closing fully in 2024 – all the while making plans for a come-back.
A revered icon, with d&b at its heart
Now, in 2026, the iconic night venue has been reimagined for the future of top-flight music and dance, with the region’s first adoption of a d&b U-Series sound system. Overseeing the architectural integrity once again was Bernard Khoury, while musical direction is in the hands of Naji’s son, Omran Gebran.
The sanctity of music and the quality of sound has always been at the heart of B 018. To ensure continuity, Naji turned to trusted partner Seebeck Audio, a leading sound system designer and installer, as well as d&b audiotechnik’s distributor for Lebanon since 2000.
“We were first hired to install sound at B 018 back in 2005,” says Seebeck's founder , Youssef Aoun “We installed d&b Q-Series, which was new then. It was the first Q-Series install in Lebanon.”
Over time, as the character of the club changed – with evolving musical genres, DJs and occasionally décor – Seebeck was called upon to make various revisions.
When a later refurbishment bared the concrete walls, a wider-pattern d&b Q1 system was installed to improve dispersion precision.
At the time Naji Gebran told d&b, “. . . all these years later we are still the leader, that’s why we invest so much in the audio system.”
Music therapy returns
Because they had been so satisfied before, they wanted the latest from d&b for the club’s rebirth. Youssef says, “They needed something powerful enough to work for the club at full capacity, while ensuring the best listening experience possible for everybody, in every type of use – even for when it’s just a chill-out space.”
There were architectural constraints. It has a relatively low ceiling (around three and a half metres) while the retractable steel roof rules out central placements. Also, Khoury insisted the loudspeakers be as unobstructive as possible. A further challenge was that the DJ booth could be at either end of the space: this would require additional flexibility, with presets in R1.
Facing these conditions, the Seebeck team began looking at d&b’s existing point source portfolio, but soon became aware of the brand-new product innovation – the U-Series. Construction had been delayed just enough for Seebeck’s management to believe there was time to pursue this attractive new solution.
An added advantage was that the choice of U-Series – helped by its lower price point and some flexibility in budget – enabled the use of eight point source positions instead of the planned six. With the club’s varied programme, it made sense to opt for more power if possible.
A logistical masterclass
With lead times challenged by a new outbreak of war in the region, there followed a remarkably resourceful collaboration between Seebeck, the client, the d&b Middle East office in Dubai, and the other contractors on site.
As a result, Seebeck was able to meticulously plan an installation that was complete in virtually every way, bar the loudspeaker hardware. On delivery, everything was ready for a fast turnaround. Says Youssef, “As soon as the system cleared customs, it went straight to B 018, and was installed, tuned and ready to go in under 24 hours.”
Because U-Series was ‘unknown’ to the Seebeck team, this took great trust in d&b. “Everything was new to us,” recalls Youssef, “but it turned out so well because we could use ArrayCalc simulations and prepare the R1 setup in advance.
The client was amazed when we had it all installed and tuned so quickly. We knew we were in safe hands with d&b.”
U-Series breaks new ground
The system comprises a combination of U-Series cabinets – U7, U5 and U3. Eight U7s cover the main areas in a rectangle around the roof opening, three U5s serve as fills covering each end of the space, and four U3s for the raised bar area. Bass comes from six Bi6-SUBs for the main area, plus two Bi10s for the bar. At the client’s request, the system’s inputs are all analogue.
Wissam Shaheen, from the Education and Application Support (EAS) team at d&b audiotechnik Middle East, says, “Being a member of the d&b family and having been a user and fan long before that, I know what our systems are capable of, but this still completely blew me away. Not just the SPL, but the clarity, the headroom and how clean and effortless the system remained, even when being pushed.
“B 018 means so much to me personally, as it does to many others. Growing up in Beirut, it was my introduction to club life in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I was also part of the team that installed the Q Series system in 2005, so this one is very close to home.
He concludes, “The Seebeck team did a tremendous job. Congratulations to everyone involved!”
