Music Room, designed by Dion Hall, reimagines the listening experience for the modern audiophile. Located on level one of HER – a five-level Melbourne CBD precinct celebrating food, drinks, music and art – this intimate, sound-locked venue treats the room itself as an acoustic instrument, reinterpreting the ‘speaker box’ as inhabitable architecture.
Working within a constrained 70-square-meter envelope, Hall collaborated with sound engineer Mickey Levis and lighting designer Hervé Descottes to resolve spatial and acoustic performance requirements within the existing shell, prioritizing sonic fidelity above all else.
Timber forms the primary tectonic language, selected for its acoustic properties and inherent material character. Complemented by leather upholstery, brass detailing, and amber glass, the palette cultivates an intimate, speakeasy-like atmosphere. Perforated timber screens operate as multifunctional elements: enhancing acoustic performance, embedding the lighting infrastructure, and mediating views to the exterior. The lighting system synchronizes with musical programming, introducing temporal dynamism to the spatial experience.
The timber lining strategically manipulates spatial perception, amplifying the room’s apparent volume beyond its physical constraints. Rhythmic perforations and carefully positioned screens reframe the boundary condition, creating psychological expansiveness for visitors to engage with the HER vinyl collection through curated DJ sessions.
Driven by uncompromising attention to acoustic quality, Music Room demonstrates how architecture can dissolve into experience – where built form and sound become indistinguishable.
