AV Case Study: The Velvet Glove, Sydney
Videri’s ultra-thin digital Canvas and K-Array architectural loudspeakers power a curated art experience in this new Sydney hospitality venue.
8 August 2025
The Velvet Glove is the launch venue of Goldilux Hospitality. Situated in Darlinghurst, Sydney, it’s a modestly sized restaurant and bar with big aspirations. Director Gabriel Di Bello explains: “We launched The Velvet Glove with an exclusive, private-club feel, without excluding anyone,” he explains. “We’re combining art, dining, and a VIP club experience.”
Gabriel knew immediately that his plan to fill The Velvet Glove with art would be tough to realise. Art isn’t cheap and to regularly switch out artwork to keep things fresh would make the exercise even less realistic. He began to explore digital alternatives. And, initially, these options were hardly more realistic: “I wanted to display art connected to the bar’s aesthetic – something visually engaging for diners,” says Di Bello. “To avoid the expense of physically rotating artwork, I explored a mosaic screen installation and discovered Videri. It was far more cost‑effective than other options, and Videri shipped with a CMS that met our needs out of the box.”
NOT A BIG TV
Videri isn’t just another TV, its Canvas product is designed for theming spaces and creating eye-catching displays, not for showing the ‘big match’ on a Friday night.
Videri Canvas can be arranged in a number of configurations, with the CMS (content management system) making it easy to arrange content across multiple displays without expensive third-party hardware. The Velvet Glove’s stunning seven-panel Videri Canvas installation is some four metres across and two metres high. It’s impossible to miss and draws patrons into the bar/restaurant.
“They resemble framed art more than screens,” comments Di Bello. “The Videri CMS is intuitive and doesn’t require becoming a technical expert, unlike other systems I considered.”
The CMS allows Gabriel to cycle through some 200 curated public-domain artworks he’s hand picked on a five minute rotation. He crops and composes the images to suit the screens, creating a considered experience that goes beyond simply throwing a JPG onto a panel.
“The Videri system offers a gateway for introducing art to people who might not seek it out otherwise,” says Di Bello. “It’s often larger than life, and grander in scale than seeing the art in person. People are taken aback by the size and presence of the artwork.”
A PLATFORM FOR CREATIVE VENUES
For Westan, the ANZ distributor of Videri, The Velvet Glove is a perfect showcase of how digital displays can enrich hospitality design without becoming intrusive.
“Videri Canvas displays are purpose-built for venues like this,” notes Richie Cheng, Westan’s Head of Commercial Sales & Product. “They’re super easy to install. The solution utilises the wireless network, and the onboard CMS doesn’t require specialist AV staff. It’s as close to plug-and-play as it gets, and the results speak for themselves.”
The Videri platform supports not only static images but also digital video, motion graphics, and photography. Content can be presented as an individual content on each canvas or be part of the complete wall. For Di Bello, that opens a creative runway: “The plan is to commission artists to produce bespoke digital content for the screens.”
ACOUSTIC & AUDIO DESIGN
When AKA Acoustics was brought into The Velvet Glove project, Managing Director and Principal Acoustical Consultant Daniel Natoli was tasked with ensuring the venue’s bold design didn’t compromise its sonic comfort.
Daniel Natoli explains: “The initial design had all the hallmarks of a difficult acoustic environment: hard polished floors, reflective ceilings, glass, brass. Our role was to liaise with the architects to make the space palatable from an acoustic perspective.”
Once the architectural work was underway, the conversation extended to the sound system. The brief was for simple immersion: a room that felt enveloping but not overbearing, with even coverage and no dead spots.
The acoustic treatment was largely concealed within the fitout itself. “A lot of the treatment is integrated into the build,” says Natoli. “Layers of absorption sit above the plasterboard ceiling, tuned so certain frequencies can permeate and be absorbed. Bulkheads were designed to tackle both HVAC noise and acoustic performance. Soft furnishings, curtains, and furniture were considered to ensure the room retained life at full capacity, but without over-absorbing when empty.”
K-ARRAY ELEGANCE
For the audio system, AKA Acoustics worked with integrator AVIT and supplier Australis Music. Natoli had long favoured K-Array for projects where design aesthetics and performance needed to coexist.
“Architects don’t want to see ceiling-mounted speakers when they’ve specified brushed gold plasterboard,” he notes. “The K-Array products let us meet performance criteria while keeping the visual impact minimal.”
The main room is covered by four KV25 Vyper columns mounted in the corners, configured as flipped-phase stereo pairs to achieve even coverage. “We achieved ±1.5dB across the entire space,” says Natoli. “That’s remarkable given the furniture and bar layout.” Low end is delivered via a KU210 subwoofer discreetly built into a banquette seat, powered by a KA28 amplifier.
Outdoors, compact Tornado loudspeakers were specified for their IP rating and tight dispersion, addressing the dual challenges of Sydney summer crowds and nearby residential neighbours. “Had planning allowed, we might have pushed for more low-end outside,” admits Natoli. “But the Tornadoes gave us control where it was needed.”
WHY IT MATTERS
The Velvet Glove’s carefully tuned acoustics and discreet sound system contribute to its commercial success. “People underestimate how much acoustics influence customer enjoyment,” says Natoli. “If conversations are a strain, patrons will leave at the first chance. But if the room feels immersive and comfortable, they’ll stay longer — and that usually translates to spending more.”
By treating the acoustics from the start and integrating audio in a way that supported the architecture, AKA Acoustics helped deliver a venue with both visual wow factor and sonic finesse.
FUTURE-PROOFING HOSPITALITY
Goldilux is on a hospitality journey. Word of mouth is pushing trade to The Velvet Glove with minimal marketing. Already Gabriel Di Bello and his fellow directors are looking at other sites, and other ways in which Videri Canvas might be employed.
“We’re currently looking at taking on a beachside venue and Videri would be perfect in that sort of location. It could artistically echo the surroundings. The potential is limitless.”
In a world where hospitality tech often focuses on efficiency, security or televised sport, Videri’s deployment here is quietly counter-cultural. It’s aesthetic-first. It’s a tech platform as much for artists and curators as it is for venue managers. In other words, it’s a canvas – not a billboard.
And in Gabriel Di Bello’s hands, it’s a canvas that speaks volumes.
The Velvet Glove: thevelvetglove.com.au
Westan (Videri): westan.com.au
Australis (K-Array): australismusic.com.au
AKA Acoustics: akaacoustics.com
RESPONSES