Photo: Club Tunneln, Malmö. 1987. Abelardo Gonzalez. Photo: Björn Blixt. ArkDes collection.

Abelardo Gonzalez
2024.09.27-2026.04.05

Abelardo Gonzalez is the architect behind some of Malmö’s most legendary nightclubs. His spectacular interior design was something completely new in the late 1970s, and the clubs became a new type of inclusive environment where everyone was welcome. Enjoy and experience the glittering worlds of the nightclubs Trocadero and Tunneln in ArkDes’s collection exhibition.

In the late 1970s, architect Abelardo Gonzalez transformed the basement at Adelgatan 3 in Malmö into the nightclub Trocadero. The interior was glamorous, featuring zebra patterns, mirrored walls, and gold accents. Everyone was welcome, and it became an important place for many who previously did not feel at home in the city’s nightlife. In two films from the club’s heyday, we get to see the environment and its visitors, where the prima donna Merry Lou leads the entertainment with invited guests.

When Trocadero closed in 1989, the nightclub Tunneln took over. Abelardo Gonzalez created an equally spectacular environment, now inspired by ancient Egypt, with desert sand and Tutankhamun statues. A selection of the drawings behind Tunneln is shown, along with one of the club’s characteristic lamps—also designed by Abelardo Gonzalez.

Abelardo Gonzalez in the ArkDes Collection
ArkDes’s collection exhibition showcases Swedish architecture and design from the past 150 years. In one of the rooms, we screen films about a specific subject or architect. First up are party planner Lars Hector’s films from the legendary nightclub Trocadero, which, with its interior designed by architect Abelardo Gonzalez, represents one of the most spectacular environments of the 20th century.

Club Tunneln, Malmö. 1987. Abelardo Gonzalez. Photo: Björn Blixt. ArkDes collection.

Club Tunneln, Malmö. 1987. Abelardo Gonzalez. Photo: Björn Blixt. ArkDes collection.