A groundbreaking new members club called Stylus is set to open on New York City's Lower East Side in 2026, promising to revolutionize the crowded private club market with its unique focus on ephemeral arts. The venue will feature an architecturally significant, acoustically engineered listening room and performance space, alongside a recording studio, outdoor terraces, and salons with a culinary program overseen by renowned chef Anita Lo.

Designed by O'Neill Rose Architects, Stylus distinguishes itself through meticulous attention to both design and cultural programming. Each space within the club has been crafted with a unique personality, often driven by collaborating artists' work, which the firm seamlessly integrates with repeated materials and architectural details to create a continuous narrative throughout the venue. The heart of the club functions as an acoustically engineered performance space and listening room, featuring a structurally integrated sound system developed by Devon Turnbull, founder of OJAS audio equipment, and a selector station designed in collaboration with Studio Sabine Marcelis and O'Neill Rose Architects.

The artistic vision begins with the building's facade, which consists of curved perforated aluminum panels cantilevered off the building's face, floating in front of highly reflective anodized aluminum flat panels. "This creates diffused pixelated reflections of Clinton Street's buildings and activity, at once connecting Stylus to the neighborhood and creating a unique identity," explains Devin O'Neill, founder of O'Neill Rose Architects and the architect behind Stylus, during a recent site tour as construction nears completion.

The acoustic engineering represents perhaps the most ambitious aspect of the project. O'Neill Rose Architects collaborated with a team of acoustic advisers from Amadeus Acoustics, Bourdeau Acoustical Design, and Criterion Acoustics for two-and-a-half years, meticulously reviewing every drawing and refining each new idea. Their ultimate goal was creating what O'Neill describes as "an acoustic chameleon of a space." The venue can transform its sound environment dramatically, with O'Neill explaining, "So you can change it to be a cathedral in France or an intimate jazz club," referring to the capabilities of Amadeus Acoustics, a spatial audio and live performance enhancement system that represents the first of its kind implemented in the United States.

"Stylus is a unicorn members club, an acoustic salon and a sanctuary for the ephemeral arts—performance, science, music, film and food—all sustained by a hybrid, for profit/nonprofit model," shares Luisa Gui, Managing Director of Stylus. The space has been specifically designed to be intimate and adaptive, capable of organically morphing and flexing for multidisciplinary programming throughout each day, from morning to evening, with particular emphasis on experiences that visitors can hear, feel, and taste.

Among the club's most innovative features is a room designed specifically for 40 Hertz presentations, where both light and sound can be set to the same frequency. This unique space includes a conversation pit-like Paulin Paulin Paulin sofa covering the entire floor, which members can enjoy during the day or book for private events. The integration of technology and comfort exemplifies the club's commitment to creating immersive sensory experiences.

Culinary director Anita Lo, who maintained a Michelin star for nine consecutive years at her West Village restaurant Annisa, will oversee all dining experiences at Stylus, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner for members. Her approach draws from international cuisines while favoring seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Lo will also helm a unique mentoring initiative for visiting chefs, inviting culinary talent from around the world to rotate through the club and participate in workshops, private classes, wine tastings, tea ceremonies, and other gastronomic events. These resident chefs will have the opportunity to live in the two bedrooms located on-site.

The material choices throughout Stylus reflect the same attention to detail found in its programming. Key selections include brickwork that weaves together interior and exterior spaces and an engineered wood system from Danish company Dinesen called Layers, marking the first use of this system in the United States. Additional custom millwork is being crafted by artisans from Danish company Ocular. Even the culinary spaces have been designed almost as performance venues, complete with recording equipment to capture ephemeral gourmet moments, embodying the club's philosophy that everything serves a dual purpose.

Beyond the custom DJ setup, Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis has contributed resin chandeliers, a reception desk, and a bar cart to the club's aesthetic. "These pieces are like beacons that guide you through the space," O'Neill notes. Throughout other areas, photographer Andrew Zuckerman's moonscapes have been transformed into wallcoverings. All aesthetic elements function as extensions of a single, technologically advanced system that unites all sonic components throughout the venue.

In the more residential areas of the club, wood treatments create a soothing atmosphere. O'Neill explains their finishing approach: "For much of the treatment on the wood, we are using linseed oil with subtle pigments, like a soft pink for the third-floor test kitchen or a rich green for a bedroom." These spaces are designed to make members feel at home, with some able to literally make it their temporary home by booking the bedrooms or hosting dinner parties. One private dining space can accommodate up to 40 seated guests.

The upstairs lounge, which serves as a highlight for many members, features contemporary and vintage furniture handpicked by Milanese interiors team Selene Privitera and Paolo Matera, creating an ideal environment for daytime work. The residential intimacy provided by both the physical footprint and design decisions presents a unique proposition in New York's competitive members club landscape.

Membership at Stylus will be limited to 750 people total, and applications are currently being accepted. The club's founders, who are medical entrepreneurs and art world veterans, envision Stylus as an extension of their own home. According to Gui, "The inception of this project was their subterranean listening room. They wanted a space to entertain and gather with like-minded, creatively curious, innovation-driven individuals." For anyone committed to optimized sound experiences and enveloping social spaces, Stylus represents a entirely new option in New York City's cultural landscape.