Akin Atelier designs JAM Record Bar to feel like being "inside a giant speaker"

Pink plywood and exposed insulation combine in this monochrome bar in Sydney, designed by local architecture office Akin Atelier to evoke the cosy feel of Tokyo's mid-century listening bars.

Akin Atelier founder Kelvin Ho designed JAM Record Bar for Justin Hemmes, the CEO of the Merivale hospitality group, who also ran the music label JAM Recordings.

A passion project for Hemmes and his sister Bettina, the bar is named after their parents John and Merivale, who used the JAM label for various ventures alongside their successful hospitality business.

The idea for the bar came from a trip to Japan taken by Hemmes and Ho, where the pair enjoyed sampling the atmosphere of Tokyo's iconic listening bars.

"We wanted to create an immersive and fun environment," said Ho, who has collaborated with Merivale for over 15 years on roughly 20 projects.

"Justin and I have had some super fun trips to Tokyo exploring lots of bars and clubs," he told Dezeen. "The commitment to design and concept was what we loved in Japan and JAM was an opportunity to do our own spin on this idea."

Located on a corner of George Street in the city's central business district, the compact 80-square-metre space seats 45 and houses a collection of 15,000 vinyl records along with a DJ booth.

The unit was previously occupied by a retail store and has large windows looking onto the adjacent streets. Together with outdoor seating, the corner windows help to create a strong connection with the surroundings.

Despite the small size of the space, Ho and his team created distinct zones organised around a central bar.

Towards the rear, an area with low seating has an intimate lounge-like feel, while the main bar area features tall stools and space for standing.

Ho described the decor as "simple and analogue but also refined", explaining that this was achieved using a basic material palette including cork, plywood and off-the-shelf insulation.

"These are all familiar and accessible materials but we used them in a way that was more elevated through detailing and composition."

JAM Record Bar's distinctive colour was driven by a specific material choice taken by Akin Atelier to enhance the acoustic properties of the space.

Pink fibreglass insulation panels from New Zealand firm Pink Batts are left exposed within the ceiling structure rather than being concealed behind plasterboard.

"We loved the pink colour of the insulation, which then inspired the pink plywood and a full commitment to the colour throughout the project," said Ho.

"JAM is designed to feel like you are drinking a cocktail inside a giant speaker box – but pink."

The pink hue is applied across the ceiling, walls and all of the bespoke plywood joinery including the bar, the record library and the geometric stools that are used both indoors and outdoors.

The space is given a retro feel through the selection of vintage light fittings and objects curated by Merivale's styling director Bettina Hemmes and design director Nasim Koerting.

Neon signage in the windows nods to the bar's Japanese inspiration, while midcentury-style details such as the entrance with its grid of circular windows evoke the golden age of vinyl in the 1950s and 60s.

JAM Record Bar offers a menu of Japanese-inspired snacks developed by chef Michael Fox of Merivale's Sushi E restaurant and drinks crafted by the company's creative cocktail lead James Irvine.

Kelvin Ho founded Akin Atelier in 2005 after studying at the University of Sydney.

The studio's multidisciplinary output combines architecture and interior design, with previous projects including a retail space in Sydney with curved resin walls and a womenswear store in Melbourne featuring a tactile material palette.

The photography is by Tim Salisbury.

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