Bang & Olufsen’s The Music Box Interactive Pop-Up Showroom Opens in SoHo
High-end audio giant Bang & Olufsen has entered the New York City pop-up scene. The Danish brand designed The Music Box, an interactive experience in the SoHo shopping district, in the space that will eventually be its flagship store. Four rooms are set up for visitors to browse at their leisure, featuring furnishings by Scandinavian company Menu. The Music Box is open now through Spring 2019, with programming running throughout the season.
Bang & Olufsen is no stranger to pop-ups. The brand opened two in 2018: one in Antwerp and another in Amsterdam. In 2015, they invited customers to celebrate their 90th birthday in a Venice Beach bungalow with a staged living room. Visitors were able to experience the products in a comfortable environment, much different from the standing model of most tech retailers.
The Music Box offers more of a sensory experience, with several opportunities for social posts throughout the 2,200-square-foot space. The showroom’s “vignettes” provide contrast, with vastly different color schemes and moods.
“The Music Box is designed to be a three-dimensional expression of our brand,” explains Christopher Devine, Public Relations and Activation Manager for Bang & Olufsen. “Each vignette brings to life a unique dimension of the Bang & Olufsen experience.”
The first space, with its expansive corner windows, shows off the Bronze collection and an oversized pendulum wave toy that visitors can watch and record. The next room, dubbed the “Edge Room,” is a hot pink transitional space with a video installation of dancers in that very same room. Visitors are encouraged to do their own version on the other side of the room, where ring lights provide the perfect opportunity for a selfie.
Moving on, one enters the Living Room, which is designed to display products not only as listening devices but as decorative pieces. Menu furniture and accessories make up the bass notes of this space. The remaining adornments include two Beolab 18 speakers, which flank the sofa. Popular movies play in the background with the volume off unless requested otherwise. A table on the other side of the room displays some of the brand’s most popular products: headphones. Another top-seller, the hexagonal Beosound Shape system, is mounted on the wall.
Neon blue light in the last room beckons shoppers. Tucked into the back is the Late Night Blue Jazz Club, draped in navy blue velvet. Chairs and tables by Menu, all in black, blend into the dark space. Jazz ensembles from the Juilliard School perform for special events, so visitors can experience both the music and speaker performance.
“The jazz club has proven to be the highlight of the pop-up,” Devine says. “Not only has it been a privilege to host some of the world’s most talented emerging artists in our pop-up, it has also provided our customers with a rich and engaging experience centered around our collective passion for beautiful music.”
But jazz is not the only sort of tune that trickles through the rooms. Visitors are welcome to request songs and enjoy them just as they would at home.
