«Not a decorative space, but a real experience,» interview with Ruggero Pietromarchi The founder of Terraforma tells us about L'Atelier Sonore, Valentino's new listening room that reflects the vision of Creative Director Alessandro Michele

In the midst of the boom of listening bars, venues that originated in Japan in the 1980s for listening to vinyl records in the company of others while enjoying a good cocktail, Valentino has inaugurated L’Atelier Sonore. Located in New York, on the second floor of the brand's boutique on Madison Avenue, the space was created in collaboration with Terraforma, the cultural collective founded by Ruggero Pietromarchi, always dedicated to sound and ecological experimentation. L’Atelier Sonore, open every day until the end of August from 10 am to 6 pm, invites guests to calmness and contemplation through intuitively relaxing interior design and experimental sounds curated by Terraforma and other collaborators of the maison. Architecture and music engage in dialogue in a room capable of evoking strong yet reassuring emotions, through a custom audio system, a multifunctional listening console inspired by the art of cabinetmaking, and modular velvet seating. The collaboration with Terraforma also involved Valentino's creative director, Alessandro Michele, Pietromarchi tells us, who shared the same vision as the maison's team and the cultural collective: «to create a space that is not decorative, but functional to a real experience».

Inspired by the Parisian salons, Terraforma worked together with architect Francesco Lupia for «an intimate space - as Pietromarchi describes it - where sound becomes a cultural experience, and where people can experience fashion in a completely new way, almost meditative». Although setting up an immersive space in the heart of one of Valentino's most visited boutiques may seem like a clever marketing move, for Terraforma's founder, it was not at all. «It’s not about branding, but about creating an authentic place with a precise function: listening». In a place where sight has always been the primary sense, the clothing store, Terraforma, and Valentino wanted to emphasize hearing to instill in each guest a sense of comfort and peace. It is a manifesto of Valentino's intent, which recently welcomed its new creative director Michele, as well as a confirmation of Terraforma's commitment to creating experimental activities.

Thanks to a long-standing collaboration with architect Lupia, Terraforma has been able to resolutely explore the boundaries at the intersection of space and sound. «For L’Atelier Sonore, we wanted something that recalled a certain timeless style without nostalgia - says Pietromarchi - Francesco worked with techniques such as veneer, typical of Renaissance furniture, reinterpreted in a minimalist and contemporary way». The choice of a city like New York for L’Atelier Sonore was also natural, as the city represents a pivotal point in the global expansion of listening bars. «There is a great tradition and musical culture that expresses itself in all creative scenes at different levels», Pietromarchi recalls. «In this sense, we wanted the project to dialogue with the local scene in an organic and transversal way».

L’Atelier Sonore represents a new chapter in Alessandro Michele's vision for Valentino, responding to the growing need for open spaces designed for sharing and tranquility. Listening bars are gaining new fans all over the world, demonstrating how the way we listen to music is changing. For Pietromarchi, the popularity of these venues is a sign of a society that has been too long based on images and visual stimuli. «I believe there is a real need for silence, depth, and attention», says the founder of Terraforma, emphasizing that participating in a listening session transforms the gesture into a collective ritual that celebrates craftsmanship and attention to detail—the same values embodied by the interior design of L’Atelier Sonore. Besides establishing connections between people, Pietromarchi adds that the purpose of the listening room perfectly matches Terraforma's long-standing goals of protecting the environment and cultural spaces. «For me, listening is an ecological practice, a way to reconnect with what surrounds us, whether it's the urban soundscape or the stories that emerge through music. And it is also a powerful tool to convey social, environmental, and cultural content».