Sona Listening Bar Opens in Mexico City's Condesa with Sound as Its Only Fare
Sona, a 245-square-metre listening bar located in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City, has opened its doors in a semi-basement dating back to the 1960s, accessible via glass and black metal doors. The creative lead, Luis López, worked alongside architect Erik López and construction expert Marcela Segovia to transform passive listening into an immersive experience. Drawing inspiration from early 20th-century Japanese jazz kissa cafés and Pauline Oliveros's concept of Deep Listening, the establishment includes a threshold, a tea area, a listening room, and a versatile gallery. The entrance features a lowered ceiling that broadcasts live audio from Costa Rica's Macaw Sanctuary, while the tea area boasts raw concrete walls and a bespoke faux-concrete bar offering Japanese teas. The listening room is designed without screens and includes custom lockers and acoustic panels created with Ethan Bourdeau, featuring a Dolby Atmos and an OJAS stereo system.
Key facts
- Sona is a 245-square-metre listening bar in Mexico City's Condesa neighbourhood, located in the semi-basement of a 1960s building.
- Creative lead Luis López (Lulo) worked with architect Erik López of Épico Estudio and construction specialist Marcela Segovia of panorama.
- The design is inspired by early-20th-century Japanese jazz kissa listening cafés and Pauline Oliveros's theories of Deep Listening.
- The space is divided into a threshold, tea area, listening room, and flexible gallery area for exhibitions, activations, and events.
- Live audio from the Macaw Sanctuary in Costa Rica streams through sculptural ODA speakers at the entrance.
- Sona serves no alcohol, offering a curated selection of Japanese teas instead.
- Acoustic treatments by Ethan Bourdeau of Bourdeau Acoustical Design include three panel compositions: absorbing, reflecting, and transparent.
- The listening room features Dolby Atmos spatial audio and a Devon Turnbull-designed OJAS analog stereo system.
Entities
Artists
- Luis López
- Lulo
- Erik López
- Marcela Segovia
- Pauline Oliveros
- Ethan Bourdeau
- Devon Turnbull
Institutions
- Épico Estudio
- panorama
- Nuumbra Estudio
- Album Goods
- Bourdeau Acoustical Design
- OJAS
- Macaw Sanctuary
- Azure Magazine
Locations
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Condesa
- Costa Rica
- New York
- United States