Apr 11

Apr 11 FRIENDLY PRESSURE: STONE ISLAND AT CAPSULE PLAZA

Capsule Plaza opened its doors again this Design Week—daily from 10AM to 8PM—turning Spazio Maiocchi and its surrounding venues into a multi-threaded circuit of contemporary thought. And right at its pulse: Friendly Pressure: Studio One, Stone Island Sound’s newest and most immersive sonic chapter, curated in collaboration with London’s bespoke sound system studio, Friendly Pressure.

We kept returning. Not out of obligation, but instinct. The room drew us in. A 50-square-meter structure modeled with architectural restraint, yet audibly alive. A thyme note in the air. Dim, focused lighting. Sound that didn’t impose—it sculpted. Built entirely by Friendly Pressure, with custom unity horns and subwoofers engineered by Bosco Taylor, the system was more than equipment—it was the spine of the space. Everything moved through it.

Across the week, the programming created a sustained rhythm. The daily presence of A Loose Ting—a hybrid of conversation and sonic mapping led by Errol Anderson and guests—formed the morning’s anchor. DJ sets by NINAFTERDARK, Bianca Intensa, Retromigration, and others offered varied textures. On several occasions, we forgot what time it was. That’s not poetic license—it’s the best way to describe what Studio One achieved. It slowed time. It suspended the external world.

But more than just a listening room, this was a precise application of Stone Island’s LAB & LIFE philosophy. Where LAB represents research, materiality, and construction—Studio One was a high-fidelity lab in action. Where LIFE is lived community, shared presence, and self-recognition—Studio One held space for that too. The collaboration became a shared pulse, not a projection.

Our experience was incredible. Every time we were nearby, we jumped back in. Inside, two things happened: you entered a different epoch—time froze—and your senses switched on. The thyme air, the music selection, the artisanal beers, the warm, open crowd—everything aligned. A space where presence was both invitation and reward.