These days when it comes to music, most of us have our head in the clouds; music is no longer a physical experience, but merely a collection of digital information, held somewhere else, called upon remotely and streamed over the ether directly to our ears, bypassing all the other senses. Melbourne pop band Architecture in Helsinki wanted to make sure its new record NOW + 4EVA was more than that, by launching it from a concept music retail store.
Design agency SIBLING helped the band signal its new release by putting together a pop-up gallery, listening space and retail outlet at CBD shopping centre, Melbourne Central. The mall provided the glass box, and SIBLING went with a pipe installation reminiscent of an traditional organ or wooden pap-pipes in a pared-down monochrome scheme, allowing the merchandise to take centre stage. The pipes were curved creating a contoured interior which suggested a goldfish bowl; viewed side-on the pipes gave the enclosure a solid feel, but viewed end-on the whole thing remained virtually transparent. The album launched on 6 April and the pop-up has now been dismantled, but if you’re keen on the AIH merch, an online store is on the way.
