Bucharest’s Communist-Era Apartment Block Becomes Romania’s Coolest Music Venue.

Bar Ton, Romania’s first and only listening bar, has turned a former music shop into an intimate sound sanctuary inside a communist-era apartment block in Bucharest.

Designed by Anda Zota and Muromuro Studio, this project offers a smart rethink of how we experience music together. The building itself has serious history; it’s part of Romania’s first locally-designed socialist apartment complex from the late 1950s, built as a model for modern living across the country.

The design approach here is refreshingly honest. Instead of fighting the building’s communist past, the architects embraced it, creating something that feels both rooted in history and completely current. The materials tell the story: warm birch plywood, textured marble mosaic floors, and sleek stainless steel fixtures that give the space its minimalist edge.

The real showstopper is the mechanical glass front framed in raw metal, completely replacing the original facade. When it opens up, the boundary between street and interior just disappears. There’s even a bench that works from both inside and outside—instant connection with anyone walking by.

Inside, four chunky concrete columns sit right in the middle of the square room. What could have been a design headache became the solution, naturally dividing the space with the listening area at its heart and everything else—bar, toilets, seating—wrapped around the edges.

Perfect Playlist of Light & Materiality: Space Talk Listening Bar in London by EBBA and Charlotte Taylor.

At London's Space Talk listening bar, sound isn't just heard—it's seen and felt. EBBA and Charlotte Taylor have crafted a honey-toned, homely interior where acoustic engineering meets aesthetic excellence.

The music area feels almost sacred. The architects call it “an open chapel dedicated to sound,” with a custom lamp marking the centre and creating this structured but playful symmetry. The lighting setup, done with Greentek Lighting, switches between day and night modes to match the mood.

Naturally, sound quality gets serious attention here. They built a hidden “room within a room” using timber framing to isolate the audio, while tall drapes hide all the acoustic gear and add to the cozy atmosphere.

The mix of rough textures—raw walls and mosaic floors—with polished finishes like oiled birch plywood creates a space that’s both sustainable and intentional. Every surface works for both looks and sound.

Bar Ton is more than good architecture; it’s cultural curation that turns communist-era infrastructure into a third space for music lovers.

Voce at Triennale Milano Elevates Music to Museum-Worthy Art Status.

Milan's cultural landscape gains a new dimension with Voce, Triennale's dedicated sound space. Designed by Luca Cipelletti within Giovanni Muzio's historic Palazzo dell'Arte, the venue combines cutting-edge acoustics with respectful architectural preservation.

[Images courtesy of Muromuro Studio. Photography by Vlad Patru.]