The past few years have seen the listening room – or, indeed, the listening bar – become something of a cultural phenomenon. In London alone, there have been a slew of new openings for vinyl and soundsystem aficionados (Neil Ridley explored the growing enclave of London listening bars for Wallpaper* earlier this year), while in Milan, the Giorgio di Salvo-designed ‘Voce’, a gleaming 330 sq m listening room in the Triennale Milano, was revealed in April. Even Michelin star restaurants are getting in on the act: Wallpaper’s Mary Cleary visited Arkestra in Istanbul, Turkey, where a moody listening room was the brainchild of co-founder Debora Ipekel, a former programmer for Boiler Room and NTS Radio host.
Inside Valentino’s L’Atelier Sonore listening room
Now, New Yorkers have a new listening room opening of their own, courtesy of Italian fashion house Valentino. The space, titled L’Atelier Sonore (the Sound Atelier), opens later this week in the house’s Madison Avenue store, its intimate, midcentury-inspired interior a reflection of creative director Alessandro Michele’s aesthetic vision for Valentino so far (he began his current role in 2024, having previously been creative director of Gucci).
Conceived in collaboration with Italian collective Terraforma and designed by architect Francesco Lupia, the room centres on a bespoke soundsystem, listening ‘console’ and undulating modular velvet seating, on which listeners can recline. The room’s textures – from enveloping floor-to-ceiling curtains to veneered woods – were chosen to evoke ‘avant-garde listening salons... underscoring a commitment to craftsmanship, intimacy, and timelessness’.
Terraforma has also worked with Valentino on a special sonic programme to mark the space’s opening this week ( L’Atelier Sonore opens to the public on 15 May 15 2025). Promising a ‘rich tapestry of international influences’, the eclectic line-up comprises various ‘listening sessions’ helmed by artists and musicians including Laraaji, Lea Bertucci, Laurel Halo, Lizzi Bougatsos, Chuquimamani-Condori, Kevin Beasley, Veronica Vasicka and Physical Therapy. Playing for around 45 minutes using vinyls from their own personal archives, participants will also share stories about the records and ‘[revel] in the silences in between’. The space will remain open to the public until the end of August 2025, with a selection of records played throughout the day, alongside sporadic ‘listening sessions’ with friends of the house.
Valentino, 654 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10065.
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