For The Audiophile – Music Room by Dion Hall

Offering an unparalleled immersive sound experience, Music Room is a bar for the modern audiophile. Dion Hall thoughtfully reworks the idea of a ‘speaker box’ to create a venue whereby the room itself is an instrument.

Located on level one of HER, a five-level precinct celebrating food, drinks, music and art in Melbourne’s CBD, Music Room is a space dedicated to the experience of listening to music. The sound-locked room offers a place for visitors to sit, drink in hand, and enjoy as DJs journey through the HER vinyl collection.

Located on level one of HER, a five-level precinct celebrating food, drinks, music and art in Melbourne’s CBD, Music Room is a space dedicated to the experience of listening to music.

The project involved various key collaborators. Sound engineer Mickey Levis developed the sound system and acoustic resolution, and Hervé Descottes from L’Observatoire International developed the lighting design. Initial challenges involved working with a very limited 70-square-metre floor plate and ensuring high-performance acoustic levels could be achieved within the base building shell.

The elevated interior reveals a bold materiality – timber being the primary material used throughout, beautifully complemented by leather upholstery, brass and amber-coloured glass. Effortlessly encapsulating an intimate and moody atmosphere reminiscent of a speakeasy, the timber remains raw in celebration of its natural beauty, though the experimentation with its elemental form and structure gives it a playful and alluring appeal.

The elevated interior reveals a bold materiality – timber being the primary material used throughout, beautifully complemented by leather upholstery, brass and amber-coloured glass.

The choice to use timber is also a practical one, as it best responds to acoustic performance requirements to help create the ‘speaker box’ concept. A series of perforations within the timber panels provide multiple functions – further acoustic solution, the primary lighting feature and screening of the external view. The lighting system also aligns directly with the music, nurturing a dynamic pulse and interactive quality.

In order to overcome spatial limitations, the application of timber for the lining of the room distorts its perceived scale. The introduction of timber screens reframes the boundary elevation and helps alter the perception of size. In addition, the perforations introduce the property of repetition. These techniques nurture the feeling of more space and in doing so facilitate a more comfortable experience for visitors.

The choice to use timber is also a practical one, as it best responds to acoustic performance requirements to help create the ‘speaker box’ concept.

Informed by a deep appreciation for music and acoustics, Music Room passes on this passion to those who visit through its dynamic design. Guided by an uncompromising focus on the quality of sound, Dion Hall has created an immersive and all-encompassing venue.