Quiet Studio at Melbourne Design Week 2025: An immersive space to reconnect and recharge

In an era defined by sensory overload and unrelenting pace – phone notifications, traffic, overcrowded spaces – Quiet Studio arrives as a welcome pause. Presented as part of Melbourne Design Week 2025, Quiet Studio is an immersive installation that transforms a Collingwood shopfront gallery into a serene retreat.

This sensory experience is a result of a transdisciplinary collaboration between award-winning architect and artist Matthew Bird of Studiobird, Autex Acoustics, global designer and manufacturer of sustainable interior acoustic solutions, and Sammy Prowse, physiotherapist and founding director of industry-leading physiotherapy company, Universal Practice. Using carbon-neutral acoustic panelling by Autex Acoustics, Quiet Studio merges contemporary design with science-based mindfulness practices – inviting guests into a calming cocoon that both quiets the world and amplifies the self.

The installation’s sculptural form is inspired by natural geometry – soft concentric arches that echo soundwave patterns and cocoon-like structures. These forms not only intrigue visually but function acoustically, absorbing noise and reducing the sensory chaos of city life. 

“It’s an exploration of how design, science, and healing can influence the frequency with which we experience the world,” says Matthew Bird, founding director of Studiobird. “Quiet Studio is not just an installation; it’s a living, breathing sanctuary in the city – a space that reminds us of the importance of silence, of slowness, of space to simply be.”

Quiet Studio offers free guided meditations during open hours and ticketed breathwork sessions led by Universal Practice, integrating mindfulness into the very structure of the design. This thoughtful programming positions the space as both sculpture and sanctuary; a functional environment for individual restoration and collective healing.

In a special conversation presented by Autex Acoustics on Melbourne Design Week’s opening Saturday, Matthew Bird will be joined by Sammy Prowse to explore the role of architectural installations in addressing overstimulation and cultivating sensory balance, both of which yield optimal health. Held within the cocoon-like structure of the installation, the talk will consider the intersection of design, science and health.

“Sound creates many effects on a human body through vibration. Living human cells all have a vibrational frequency, which has a crucial role in physiology and pathology, in health and disease,” shares Sammy, “when we start to understand this, we can immediately understand how good quality design and our environment influence our state.”

At once a tactile artwork, a public retreat, and a wellness offering, Quiet Studio is a response to the contemporary condition – a world always “on”, always loud, and rarely still. It reminds us that sound is not just heard, but felt. That design is not just seen, but experienced. And that healing can begin simply by stepping inside, taking a breath, and letting go.

Event details

Event: Quiet Studio

Dates: Saturday, May 17 until Sunday, May 25

Location: 43 Derby Street, Collingwood, VIC

Entry: Free meditation sessions daily from 10am to 4pm; ticketed breathwork sessions available via Melbourne Design Week website

Public Talk: Saturday, May 17 at 10.30am with Matthew Bird and Sammy Prowse