Red Bull Music Academy New York INABA

INABA, the design firm founded by Jeffrey Inaba, was contracted by the Red Bull Music Academy to take four floors of a vacant New York building in its Chelsea neighborhood and turn it into the ideal learning space. The firm used curved walls to divide and structure the 38,000 square feet of L-shaped space to include areas for performances, private workshops, music production and broadcasting. But it isn’t all work at the space as human interaction has been heavily emphasized with the inclusion of more intimate lounges, a living room auditorium, production studio, and a rehearsal room to complement larger gathering areas located on the street and cellar levels. The vibe of these areas, in turn, is all made possible through the special consideration given to lighting as the facility is meant to be used throughout the day. While natural light floods in through the ceiling-height windows during the day, custom neon and diffused LED fixtures illuminate the splashes of color that dot many of the otherwise minimalistically arranged spaces after the sun sets. Stay tuned for more news about the space while those interested in some of the musical work that comes out of it can listen to it via its dedicated website.