New York, NY (August 20, 2025)—Despite the neighborhood’s name, Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan has plenty of great places to eat, and the Civilian Hotel’s new site, Starchild Rooftop, is gunning to be known as one. Offering views of the river and midtown, the site sports retractable glass rooftop, luxurious indoor lounge and a Funktion-One sound system.

With a capacity of approximately 150 guests, Starchild Rooftop offers guests relaxed early evenings and vibrant late-nights, serving up soul, funk, disco, house, and dancefloor-fillers, and while that led Daniel Agne, President and Principal Designer at Sound Investment to consider how best to approach the venue’s audio system, there was a bigger variable to weigh: the retractable glass roof.

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Its defining architectural feature enables the space to quickly transform from a fully enclosed, climate-controlled lounge into an open-air rooftop. This flexibility posed a unique challenge for the audio design: the system needed to provide immersive, high-fidelity sound in multiple configurations without overwhelming the space or detracting from conversation.

Sound Investment addressed this with a precisely zoned Funktion-One system. The system comprises Funktion-One F101.2 and F81.2 loudspeakers, supported by BR118 and BR218 bass enclosures, with MB210LPs adding punch. Indoors, loudspeakers are strategically placed to deliver clarity, warmth and even coverage throughout the lounge and bar. Outdoors, the terraces benefit from the same attention to detail, creating an engaging sonic experience across the entire venue.

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“The primary objective for the sound system was to create an immersive, energy-rich atmosphere that supports the venue’s multi-functional role,” says Agne. “It had to be powerful enough to energise the space, but still refined and directional enough to preserve conversation clarity, especially in seated lounge areas and near the bar.”