On Wednesday night, two burly snipers flanked an unremarkable door between a pizzeria and a vape shop on West 57th Street. Those allowed in made their way down a narrow staircase to the door of New York’s Silencio, where a new offshoot of the elaborate Parisian nightclub was hosting its opening party.
Silencio on rue Montmartre has attracted a number of Parisian fashion, art and music scenes since it opened in 2011, featuring director David Lynch. (Its name alludes to the eerie theater in Mr. Lynch’s 2001 film “Mulholland Drive.”)
Although its new location near Columbus Circle isn’t expected to officially open until later this month, it opened its doors early for a celebration of “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” the exhibition of power couple that highlights the black art. stars which opens at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday.
At close to 9pm, preparations were still underway. Bartenders were picking up bouquets of roses and a staff member on a ladder was setting up a sheer red curtain next to the DJ booth. A few hours later, the room was packed with guests, including Kehinde Wiley, the painter whose work is central to the “Giants” exhibit. Max Hollein, director and head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Joan Smalls, the model; and Marc Spiegler, the former global director of Art Basel.
Kasseem Dean, the producer and DJ known as Swizz Beatz, arrived shortly after midnight and handed out “Dean Collection” university badges to the artists whose work was included in the exhibit. He greeted artist Mickalene Thomas and painter Amy Sherald, who slipped into a jacket with the words “collect”, “protect” and “respect” embroidered above the pocket.
Mr Dean, 45, said he always enjoyed visiting Silencio in Paris, often with the South African DJ Black coffee. “It’s always a good atmosphere,” he said, and one he’s happy to bring to his hometown: “To have that open and to bless it, it’s a blessing.”
He swapped his clear-framed glasses for sunglasses to step out behind the DJ booth, where he hugged Ms. Smalls.
The 300-person club is inviting, with thick maroon carpets lining the floors and soft, red velvet upholstery. Alcoves with plush gold benches house the DJ booth and a series of small circular tables. Rujeko Hockley, associate curator at the Whitney Museum, huddled around one with artists Derrick Adams and Kennedy Yanko.
Guests wore fishnet ballet flats and carried tiny Lucite bags as they tried to exchange Instagram handles — with little luck, as service in the underground club was spotty. Queuing for tequila cocktails at the bar, they talked about the parties they would (and wouldn’t) attend during the upcoming New York Fashion Week.
Tripoli Patterson, 39, an art dealer and owner of Tripoli Gallery in the Hamptons, surveyed the clientele. “I met two models and then I saw two people I know from the art world,” she said. He added that he hoped the space would help make the art scene in New York more inclusive.
DJ sets filled with contemporary hits from Beyoncé and Frank Ocean gave way to 1990s tracks from DMX and Cam’ron as the night wore on. Although Ms. Keys, the Grammy-winning singer, was not in attendance, those on the dance floor swayed to her 2003 song “You Don’t Know My Name.”
Arnaud Frisch, Silencio’s founder and CEO, weaved quietly through the crowd. Silencio already has additional locations in Paris and Ibiza, and experimented with an American pop-up at Art Basel in Miami Beach in 2014. Access to the clubs’ film screenings, concerts and other events is limited to members, who pay 1,200 euros ($1,290) per year.
Mr. Frisch said he had long seen New York as a logical next step because of how often the city hosts cultural events that attract members of the art and fashion worlds. He enlisted architect and designer Harry Nuriev and mixologist Remy Savage to create a Silencio that doesn’t just copy and paste the Parisian formula.
At 1am, an empty can of Red Bull was on the carpet. The air was hazy with smoke, although, some guests noted, less than is typical in a Paris nightclub.
“We’re trying to do something different,” Mr. Frisch, 49, said. “I’m not trying to bring a French design to something. I think when you’re in New York, you’re happy to be in the New York atmosphere.”