Love Hultén introduces a custom wooden music cabinet that plays vinyl records vertically as well as cassette tapes without any covers. A commission by a client, the owner originally asked the sound artist to create his own version of the Rosita Commander Luxus from 1970. The original device was made by Rosita, a German company that produced high-quality stereo systems in the 1960s and 1970s. These systems were often large wooden cabinets that combined a record player, radio, and speakers in one piece of furniture. In Love Hultén’s take, the design keeps the spirit of the 1970 model but adds modern ideas and new functions.

The wooden music cabinet has a warm-looking frame and a clean metal front panel. The wood gives a classic and homey feeling, while the metal and buttons give a modern vibe to it. The record player sits at the top. The turntable sits vertically on the upper panel, accompanied by a slim tonearm. The front panel around the record player is light gray metal, a hint at the old view of futurism, and there are small round knobs at the top for sound control. These knobs are labeled for high, mid, and low sound, all sitting close to the small speaker holes pictured on both sides of the panel and made in a grid pattern.

all images courtesy of Love Hultén

Cassette tapes stacked vertically like the turntable

Below the record player on the wooden music cabinet by artist Love Hultén is a section for cassette tapes. Several colorful cassette tapes are placed neatly in rows, all stacked vertically too, like the turntable. In the center, there is a cassette deck where the owner can insert and play a tape. There are square buttons in red, green, blue, and gray for controlling the tape player, and the buttons are large and easy to press. The assigned colors also help the user understand which button to use to control the recording. The tape storage also allows them to read the labels and titles of the objects easily because they’re slotted just midway, with the upper half peeking into view.

There’s another feature in the wooden music cabinet that Love Hultén has added, and that’s a ‘secret’ storage space for vinyl records. It has a hidden lift system on the top of the device, and when the owner opens it, they can store 10 to 12 records inside, keeping them safe and clean from dust. The design is inspired by 1970s home stereo furniture, when music systems were large and part of the living room. They were not just machines. They were furniture pieces. In fact, one could say that the Rosita Commander Luxus was known for having been a furniture design and high-tech audio piece forged in one product. Love Hultén’s version through the wooden music cabinet respects this history, a modern take that shows how old design ideas can be used again, all refreshed.

there’s even a tape player on deck

there’s a hidden storage for the vinyl records

the storage can hold up to 12 records

side profile of the device

the high chair-like gadget revives the design of the Rosita Commander Luxus from 1970

detailed view of the turntable buttons

project info:

artist: Love Hultén | @lovehulten

model: Rosita Commander Luxus

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ENESS’ Iwagumi Air Scape unfolds across Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, marking one of the few contemporary artworks to occupy the 13th-century square in its long history. The large-scale installation transforms the civic heart of the city into a field of luminous, air-filled ‘boulders’ that appear geological in mass.

More than 10,000 people gathered around the work, yet, despite the crowds, the atmosphere reportedly settled into an unexpected calm, as visitors moved quietly among the forms. Previously presented at i Light Singapore along the Marina Bay foreshore and later at Prahran Square in Melbourne, the project arrives in Bologna with an established trajectory of adapting its rock compositions to sharply different urban settings. The team draws from the Japanese concept of iwagumi, a tradition of composed rock arrangements that emphasize balance, stillness, and reverence toward nature. Here, that sensibility is translated into inflatable volumes that evoke immense stone formations. By day, the matte surfaces read as oversized fragments of landscape displaced into the urban grid. By night, they emit shifting color and a responsive soundscape inspired by frogs, birds, and bats, introducing subtle acoustic life into the square.

all images courtesy of ENESS

Monumentality staged without permanence

In Iwagumi Air Scape, the Melbourne-based art and technology studio operates through contrast. Its soft, air-supported structures suggest thousands of tons of rock, yet they are lightweight and fully dismantled at the end of each presentation, with materials sustainably broken down. In Bologna, the lilac glow of the inflatables interacts with the surrounding architectural lighting, creating a layered dialogue between the historic fabric and the temporary intervention.

Visitors are encouraged to circulate, lean, photograph, and even embrace the forms. The scale invites proximity rather than distance. In aerial views, the installation reads as a clustered geological event within the rigid geometry of the square. At ground level, it becomes a series of intimate encounters with surface, light, and sound.

the unusual site brings to mind the development of cities and its toll on our natural world

shifting contexts, consistent principles

Iwagumi Air Scape is designed as a contextually flexible work. For i Light Singapore, it was installed within an expansive green space, rising like an isolated formation in an open field. At Prahran Square in Melbourne, it confronted dense urban surroundings, offering a temporary counterpoint to high-rise congestion. In Bologna, positioned among church-built structures and centuries-old masonry, the installation takes on additional readings, connected to deep time, meditation, prayerfulness, and collective awe.

Across these settings, ENESS maintains the core design principles of iwagumi, including asymmetry, balance, and the relationship between elements. The project’s adaptability lies not in changing its identity, but in allowing each site to recalibrate its meaning.

every iteration of Iwagumi Air Scape is sensitively integrated into the site

the lilac hue of Iwagumi Air Scape’s boulders sit in harmony with the copper turrets in the surrounding cityscape

the textural quality of Iwagumi Air Scape is as beautiful and intriguing by day as it is by night

visitors move quietly among the forms

peeking through forms reminiscent of ancient boulders to the historic city beyond

the closest rocks loom large, beckoning visitors onward

a pleasing interplay develops between the existing architectural lighting and the temporary installation

crowds enjoying the installation, taking photos, dancing, hugging the forms or just standing in the light

the glowing forms of Iwagumi Air Scape creating a tranquil scene in the early evening light

a sea of visitors against the illuminated forms

a layered dialogue between the historic fabric and the temporary intervention

project info:

name: Iwagumi Air Scape

artist: ENESS | @studioeness

locations: Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Italy

The post ENESS installs luminous inflatable boulders in bologna’s historic piazza maggiore appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Korg’s phase8 acoustic synthesizer resembles a kalimba with the lifted resonators that users can touch, pluck, strum, and tap to produce sounds. It doubles as an interactive sound sculpture because instead of just tapping buttons and rotating knobs to make music, users physically engage with the device with the tools available to them.

By that it means they can scratch a rock over the resonator or use a pencil as a drumstick, and Korg’s phase8 acoustic synthesizer still produces layered sounds. There’s also a slider that boosts or softens the acoustic response so that the sounds coming out of the device can be modulated when the users touch it.

all images courtesy of Korg

Steel resonators produce sounds by touching them

The brand describes the device as an eight-voice acoustic synthesizer, allowing producers to use envelope shaping, sequencing, analog wavefolding, and pitch-dependent modulation. It even vibrates as users interact with the device, a subtle reference to the kalimba, where players have to thumb through the resonators. In fact, these eight independent electromechanical voices with steel resonators form the heart of Korg’s phase8 acoustic synthesizer.  Alongside, the instrument features 13 chromatically tuned resonators, with 8 of the user’s choice that can be installed at any one time. Using the envelope control, these resonators can produce short or long percussive sounds as well as long, drawn-out sustained notes. 

The design of Korg’s phase8 acoustic synthesizer lets producers easily swap and tune these steel resonators, so they can customize the scale and personality of their device. On the sides, there are MIDI/USB-MIDI and CV that can be used to externally control the knob parameters, and external MIDI devices can also be connected to trigger the notes in Korg’s phase8 acoustic synthesizer. A shift knob is present too, so users can add delayed triggers to the sounds, relative to the selected or matched tempo. The brand adds that all controls on the instrument’s panel are able to be automated over a sequence using the record function.

the steel resonators have different shapes and designs, too

there’s a delay knob to add triggered delays to the sounds

an intuitive sequence supports programmed and live recordings

side profile of the device

users strum, tap, and pluck the resonators to make music, too

the instrument features 13 chromatically tuned resonators in total

project info:

name: phase8 Acoustic Synthesizer

brand: Korg | @korgofficial

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Dead oak tree returns to life as sound sculptures, musical instruments, and playable records by artist Steve Parker. On display in an exhibition named Funeral for a Tree, the project began when a 65-year-old live oak tree in the artist’s yard died from oak wilt, a disease that slowly kills trees. Instead of removing the tree and moving on, Steve Parker chose to listen to it by transforming the oak tree into sound sculptures, allowing the tree to perform its own memorial. At the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk. 

The artist carefully turned them into playable records, similar to vinyl records, and each wooden record is engraved with recordings of migratory birdsong. These are sounds from bird species that once rested in the oak during different seasons of its life. When placed on a custom-made wooden turntable, the records spin and play, letting the tree remember the life it once supported.

all images courtesy of Ivester Contemporary and Steve Parker

Other instruments include medical breathing bags and brass

The records shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself, and as the wood continues to dry over time, it naturally cracks and changes shape. This affects the sound quality, causing the music to fade, distort, or fill with static. The artist allows this to happen instead of fixing it, so in this way, the sound slowly disappears, just like memories change over time. Sound in the exhibition is also shaped by the sheng, a traditional Chinese mouth organ linked to ideas of rebirth and the phoenix. Sheng musician Jipo Yang performs the birdsongs, and throughout the gallery, sheng instruments appear in many forms. Some are played live, while others are connected to machines like ventilators and CPAP devices. These machines gently push air through the instruments, giving them breath. 

Other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree. One includes a live oak branch connected to a camshaft that slowly moves and brushes against a wind chime. Another features a large bass drum covered in wood shavings. When birdsong plays, the shavings gently shake, making the sound visible as well as audible. There are also abstract turntables fitted with horn speakers, turning sound into something you can feel in the room. There’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds. It looks part machine, part organism, and each performance rearranges and activates the sculptures in new ways. The exhibition Funeral for a Tree by artist Steve Parker was shown at the art gallery Ivester Contemporary between November 29th, 2025 and January 10th, 2026.

at the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk

detailed view of the playable records

view of the turntable made from oak tree

exhibition view

there’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds

detailed view of the musical instruments

other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree

the sound sculptures shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself

exhibition view at Ivester Contemporary

project info:

name: Funeral for a Tree

artist: Steve Parker | @steveparker

gallery: Ivester Contemporary | @ivester_contemporary

The post dead oak tree comes back to life as sound sculptures and playable records appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Cappella del Suono is a small-scale architectural installation located in the grain fields of Italy’s Marche region. Positioned on a hillside, the pavilion is designed as a lightweight wooden structure that maintains a close relationship with its surrounding landscape. Developed by Studio Carraldo, the project was realized independently in the summer of 2025 after being selected as the winning entry of the Festival di Microarchitettura. The pavilion is also among the twelve nominated projects for the Klimahouse Wood Architecture Prize 2025.

The structure is composed of a regular grid of vertical wooden slats that define the spatial enclosure while remaining visually permeable. The slats are suspended at varying lengths, forming an irregular lower edge that softens the boundary between architecture and landscape. Perforations integrated at the ends of selected elements introduce an acoustic dimension, allowing the pavilion to respond to wind conditions. As air moves through the structure, the wooden components interact to produce layered sound effects, which vary in intensity depending on wind strength and direction. Under certain conditions, the sound recalls the distant bells of the nearby Convento di Monte Illuminato.

all images by Jonas Zauels

Studio Carraldo’s Pavilion is Defined by Light and Landscape

Light and shadow play a central role in shaping the spatial experience. The open arrangement of the slats allows sunlight to pass through the structure, creating changing patterns throughout the day and reinforcing the pavilion’s temporal and environmental responsiveness. Structurally, the installation rests on slender vertical supports anchored directly into the ground, minimizing impact on the site and reinforcing the project’s temporary character. Studio Carraldo’s material choices further support this approach. The use of untreated wood allows the structure to weather naturally and visually integrate with the surrounding grain fields. Rather than asserting itself as an object, the pavilion maintains a low visual profile and reads as an architectural extension of the landscape.

Cappella del Suono is conceived as a permeable architectural space, defined enough to establish a place while remaining open to environmental forces. A built-in bench extends from the interior toward the exterior, supporting different modes of occupation and allowing visitors to engage with the pavilion through rest, observation, and listening.

participation with a local piano maker from Lunano

when the wind is calm, the Cappella del Suono reads like a monolith

dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and transparency

the structure appears to grow directly out of the surrounding grain fields

in interaction with the wind, the structure comes alive

the bench encourages resting and experiencing the surrounding field of slats

through varying lengths and precise perforations, the slats create a layered acoustic effect

the sound slats are suspended by delicate threads, letting them sway freely in the wind

the pavilion creates an permeable architectural space open to environmental forces

project info:

name: Cappella del Suono

architect: Studio Carraldo | @studio.carraldo
design team: Franka Ruhnau, Jonas Rosenfelder, Luis Navarro, Valentin Fick, David Zauels
location: Marche, Italy

photographer: Jonas Zauels | @blackbvrds

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post wind activates pavilion’s permeable wooden grid producing layered soundscapes appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

La Mécanique de Noël is a 20-meter interactive installation designed by Hellène Gaulier and Gwénolé Gasnier of Agence GG for the refectory of Fontevraud Abbey, in France. Conceived as a large communal table, the project explores the sensory and mechanical dimensions of festive gatherings through an assemblage of interactive devices, blown glass elements, lighting, sound, and scent.

The installation draws reference from both lived and imagined Christmas meals, translating familiar rituals into a spatial and mechanical composition. Rather than focusing solely on food, the table incorporates the broader environment of a festive dinner, including decoration, movement, sound, and atmosphere. A series of mechanical systems animates glass objects, triggers light sequences, and releases scents, creating a layered sensory experience distributed along the length of the table.

Visitors are invited to engage directly with the installation through buttons, levers, and handles embedded within the structure. These controls activate different elements of the table, producing variations in sound, light, and motion. The interaction introduces unpredictability, allowing the environment to shift continuously as multiple participants contribute to the sequence of events. The installation thus operates as a collective mechanism, shaped in real time by visitor participation.

blow a name into the microphone to light a candle | all images courtesy of Agence GG

Blown Glass and Mechanics adorn the festive table by Agence GG

Set within the historic context of Fontevraud Abbey, the project establishes a dialogue between contemporary mechanical design and the architectural setting of the refectory. References to traditional winter imagery, such as fireplaces, festive lighting, and ceremonial table settings, are abstracted into mechanical and sensory cues rather than literal scenography. Blown glass components play a central role, functioning as both decorative and interactive elements within the system.

Developed by Hellène Gaulier and Gwénolé Gasnier of Studio Agence GG in collaboration with the Abbey of Fontevraud and the CIAV of Meisenthal, the project is the result of a year-long process involving partners across several regions of France. By combining mechanics, glassmaking, and interactive design, La Mécanique de Noël constructs an immersive environment that examines collective rituals through participation, material experimentation, and controlled sensory complexity.

overview of the 20-meter table in the heart of the refectory of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

blown glass Snowstorm to be operated with cranks

grilled chicken odor diffusion device

crane for micro glass fly feast

blown glass Snowstorm to be operated with cranks

sand lock carafe, making life gluttonous

machine to toast glasses

take a seat to put on the suit

Hellène Gaulier and Gwénolé Gasnier of Agence GG with La Mécanique de Noël Christmas table

project info:

name: La Mécanique de Noël – Interactive Christmas Table
designer: Agence GG | @agencegg
lead designers: Hellène Gaulier & Gwénolé Gasnier

location: Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, France

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post sensory machines of glass, light and sound animate 20-meter interactive christmas table appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

New York’s Cooper Hewitt exhibits the experimental sound art of designer Devon Turnbull with its newly opened installation, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3. The show sees a gallery within the museum’s historic Carnegie Library transformed into a dedicated space for deep listening. On view through July 19th, 2026, Turnbull’s large-scale, handmade audio system signals the museum’s broader engagement with sound through Art of Noise, an exhibition organized by SFMOMA.

Turnbull, known under the name OJAS, approaches audio engineering as a design practice grounded in craft and long-term experimentation. His systems appear as monolithic objects that express their weight and invite attention even in silence. Here, sound fills the gallery evenly, and encourage stillness and sustained focus among visitors.

The installation arrives alongside a growing cultural interest in attentive listening, a subject about which Turnbull wrote in the foreword to Jazz Kissa: The Soul of Japanese Listening Culture, published by ERG Media. The book, by photographer Katsumasa Kusunose, documents Japan’s jazz cafés, spaces devoted to focused, communal listening.

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

Within Cooper Hewitt, artist Devon Turnbull tailors the listening room to the architectural character of Andrew Carnegie’s former library. Turnbull developed custom speaker sculptures that respond directly to the existing millwork and rhythm of the space, creating a close relationship between historic interior details and contemporary fabrication. The scale of this iteration exceeds earlier versions, allowing sound to circulate with a controlled sense of depth and presence.

Seating by USM Modular Furniture and textiles by Kvadrat complete the environment, offering comfort while maintaining visual restraint. Materials remain legible and direct, allowing the audio system to lead the experience. The room operates as a functional interior rather than a display stage, with every element tuned toward sustained listening and shared attention.

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

The exhibition forms part of a lineage of listening rooms developed by Devon Turnbull since 2022, following presentations in New York, London, and San Francisco. At Cooper Hewitt, the installation becomes the most architecturally and acoustically integrated version to date, shaped for daily use through an active program of music sessions. Live guest operators, including Turnbull alongside musicians, archivists, and collectors, guide listening experiences several days each week.

Outside of these sessions, rotating playlists selected by Turnbull structure the room’s rhythm across the week, moving through classical, ambient, jazz, and mixed genres depending on the day. Music functions here as both content and medium and revealing how sound interacts with space, furniture, and collective presence. Through HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt frames listening as a design act.

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

Devon Turnbull, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2025; courtesy Devon Turnbull/Lisson Gallery; photo: Mark Waldhauser

project info:

name: HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3

artist: Devon Turnbull | @devonojas

museum: Cooper Hewitt | @cooperhewitt

location: New York, NY

seating: USM Modular Furniture | @usmmodularfurniture

textiles: Kvadrat | @kvadrattextiles

dates: December 12th, 2025 — July 19th, 2026

photography: © Mark Waldhauser

The post devon turnbull transforms cooper hewitt gallery into handcrafted listening room appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Deep in the coastal Douglas-fir forest of Hornby Island, home to the rarest and most fragile ecosystems in Canada, art and design studio Daily tous les jours installs Forest Mixer, an artwork that turns spoken messages into evolving harmonies, vibrations, and finally a kind of sonic mulch. Conceived by founders Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat as an encounter with the living systems of the forest, the piece translates human presence into an acoustic cycle of growth and decay, echoing how trees, soil, and fungi exchange information beneath the forest floor.

Visitors begin at a low-set microphone, intentionally positioned for accessibility, where they release short spoken messages into the installation. These phrases stretch into harmonies, then slowly turn into crumbling, mulch-like sounds. In the final stage, low-frequency pulses can be felt as vibrations through a platform by sitting, standing, lying down, or simply touching it with a hand.

As participants move along soft mulch pathways, the work positions their bodies inside the sensory field of the forest, composed of the scents of cedar and spruce, the crackle of needles, and the chorus of tree frogs, sea lions, owls, finches, and woodpeckers. 

all images by Ramble Films, Olivier Blouin and Étienne Lacelle

a ritual of sound, care, and ecological attention in canada

Installed among towering red cedars and Sitka spruce, Forest Mixer operates as a playful experiment that releases a voice, watches it transform, and feels it dissolve into vibration. It creates space for catharsis and curiosity, grounding participants in the material logic of the forest.

The installation extends Daily tous les jours’ fifteen-year exploration of shared public experience into the realm of interspecies connection. After previous collaborations with biologist Luc-Alain Giraldeau and research into cooperative behaviors, the studio began looking at the forest as an active collaborator. Preliminary studies suggesting that soil organisms and fungi may respond to sound and vibration became an unexpected point of departure.

The work is an attempt to shape a sensory system that mirrors the cycles of communication, renewal, and decay of the forest. As the Montreal-based studio notes, ‘Forests, in their constant flux, remind us that what we experience today may not be there tomorrow. They show us how life thrives in chorus.’

Daily tous les jours installs Forest Mixer deep in the coastal Douglas-fir forest of Hornby Island

conceived as an encounter with the living systems of the forest

the piece translates human presence into an acoustic cycle of growth and decay

echoing how trees, soil, and fungi exchange information beneath the forest floor

the work positions visitor’s bodies inside the sensory field of the forest

visitors begin at a low-set microphone

in the final stage, low-frequency pulses can be felt as vibrations through a platform

Forest Mixer operates as a playful experiment

the installation releases a voice, watches it transform, and feels it dissolve into vibration

it creates space for catharsis and curiosity

grounding participants in the material logic of the forest

the installation extends Daily tous les jours’ exploration into the realm of interspecies connection

the studio began looking at the forest as an active collaborator

the work is an attempt to shape a sensory system that mirrors the cycles of the forest

project info:

name: Forest Mixer

artist: Daily tous les jours | @dailytlj

location: Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada

commissioner: Jennifer Ouano

industrial design: SSSVLL | @sssvll

photographer and short film director: Ramble Films | @ramblefilms

The post daily tous les jours’ installation attunes human voices to forest ecologies in canada appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

MusiCubes comprises musical wooden cubes that produce instrumental sounds when placed on the smart vinyl-like board. Built with RFID technology, the surface reads the individually handcrafted cube and plays a sound, loop, effect, or recording as a way to give users a screen-free tool to make music. The device is based on a technology called TuneTouch, which uses passive RFID tags. Each musical wooden cube contains one RFID tag, holding information about the type of instrument or sound the block has. When the cube touches the tablet surface, the vinyl-like board detects the RFID signal and plays a sound or activates a function with low delay. 

The detection works in real time, so users hear the result as soon as the cube moves, and the system needs no cables, no buttons, and no screens. The design of MusiCubes focuses on direct physical use, so users don’t tap icons or menus. Instead, they place cubes on the tablet surface. If they want to stop the music, they just remove the musical wooden cubes from the smart vinyl board. This is where the users play with their creativity because they can mix and match the cubes until they produce the kind of music they like.

all images courtesy of MusiCubes

Smart vinyl board ‘reads’ the musical wooden cubes

MusiCubes has four main cube types.  The first one is the Loop cubes, which has one rhythm pattern or one melodic sound. When a Loop cube is placed on the tablet, the loop begins. The second set is for recording, or to activate the recording mode, in case the users want to register the production. Users can capture layers from Loop cubes or from live input, and when the Recording cube is removed, the recording stops. Then, there’s the series of Mic cubes for the microphone input. With these musical wooden cubes, the smart vinyl board records the users as they sing, beatbox, or record other instruments, adding a personal touch to their track.

The last is the Control cubes, which can change the audio settings. Here, users can adjust the volume, tempo, mix levels, equalizer settings, or effects of the music they’re producing, such as reverb, echo, or repeat. The RFID tag tells the tablet which parameter to adjust, and moving the cubes means applying changes to the current sound. MusiCubes works without a screen, internet, or software installation since the musical wooden cubes and smart vinyl board are fully physical. The team, comprising Hayri C. Bulman and Andy Keimach, states that future versions may support connectivity, but the current one is a stand-alone device. The device includes a library of loops, melodies, and effects that can be combined in many ways, allowing users to create long tracks, short patterns, or simple sound tests. So far, there’s no official release date for MusiCubes, but the team says that they’re launching it soon.

the surface reads the individually handcrafted cube and plays a sound

each block corresponds to a respective sound

there are several types or categories of music and function that each cube can operate

the images on the cube indicate the kind of sound to be played

the device is based on a technology called TuneTouch, which uses uses passive RFID tags

view of the vinyl- like board

project info:

name: MusiCubes

team: Hayri C. Bulman, Andy Keimach

The post musical wooden cubes produce instrumental sounds when placed on smart vinyl-like board appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, Telekom Electronic Beats in collaboration with Kalkul hosted the European premiere of Erykah Badu’s sound meditation at the Reethaus in Berlin. The Monday Ceremony offered a rare proximity to the American neo soul singer in a space known for its contemplative architecture of concrete, glass, and reed. Designed by Austrian architect Monika Gogl as an homage to ancient temples, caves and other natural hollow spaces, the Reethaus provided a unique setting for the global icon.

The exclusive ritual, initially unveiled on the Kalkul Rooftop in Tokyo, was limited to just 25 guests per session. Through high-resolution Audio-Technica headphones, guests experienced a 30-minute listening session lying on floor mats, immersed in sound, connection, and focus. Badu guided participants through fragments from her personal archive, unreleased material from her upcoming album, and spontaneous improvisations. The session was a conscious, small, raw, and profoundly personal experience, serving as a counterpoint to her large-scale arena concert held the following day.

all images courtesy of Telekom Electronic Beats, unless stated otherwise | image © Nadira Tania

A MODERN SOUND TEMPLE AT FLUSSBAD CAMPUS

Located near the Spree River, the Reethaus is the first completed phase of the larger Flussbad campus. The venue is part of Slowness, an experiential hospitality collective that reframes how people live and come together. For Kalkul and Electronic Beats, Deutsche Telekom’s cultural program, it provided the perfect backdrop for Erykah Badu’s meditative sound experience, resembling a 12-meter-tall temple with word-class sound technology. The building, designed by Austrian architect Monika Gogl, is an architectural collaboration that included Belgian designer Cédric Etienne and stands as a radical structure, characterized by a hand-thatched reed roof that allows the architecture to blend with its riverside environment.

Reethaus, designed by Monika Gogl as an homage to ancient temples| image © Jose Cuevas

BERLIN’S REETHAUS PROVIDES A PEACEFUL PERFORMANCE SPACE 

The interior design fosters an environment of complete presence, allowing the mix of rich, sensory materials, including blocks of burnt and scented cork, waxed oak seats, and woven tatami mats, to form a unified and tactile sanctuary. The intimate 30-minute session unfolded within the Reethaus’ core inner chamber, a ritual space where the architecture seeks to cultivate deep calm inspired by the tenets of Wabi-Sabi. Moving away from the format of a traditional auditorium, the design approach prioritizes textures, light, and creating an atmosphere of total repose. The wooden ceiling features a dramatic skylight that connects the chamber directly to the sky, imbuing the space with a spiritual charisma.

At the conclusion of the gathering, Erykah Badu personally engaged with the audience, inviting them to reflect on the experience. The artist’s powerful closing query asked participants to think about ‘how we can live the rest of our lives truly present and fully focused?’

Reethaus’ inner chamber | image © Clemens Poloczek

the architecture seeks to cultivate deep calm inspired by the tenets of Wabi-Sabi | image © Clemens Poloczek

the furniture is defined by tactile materials including blocks of burnt and scented cork | image © Clemens Poloczek

the design approach prioritizes textures, light, and creating an atmosphere of total repose | image © Clemens Poloczek

project info: 

name: Monday Ceremony 

artist: Eyrkah Badu | @erykahbadu
hosts: Kalkul and Telekom Electronic Beats | @kalkul.xyz and @electronicbeats
location: Reethaus Berlin, Germany | @reethausberlin

date: November 3rd, 2025

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