Behind the Curtain
In June, Pirajean Lees launched The Library at WOW!house 2025, in collaboration with Italian textile house, Dedar. Here, Clémence Pirajean evokes the spirit of the room, sharing her behind-the-scenes perspective of its grand opening, including a breath-stealing performance by singer Josh Barry.
Step inside The Library and it’s the sound you notice first — or absence of it.
Conversation, footsteps, all are softened, absorbed. As noise retreats, sound becomes intentional. This is a quiet that dares you to whisper, to play a jazz record, to cast yourself onto the listening chair and kick back with a tumbler of whiskey. A week ago, this room didn’t exist except in months of research, our drawings and imagination. Now it’s a whole, miniature world with character and soul; a narrative given life.
The Pirajean Lees library at WOW!house is beautiful at any moment, but watching a live performance by Josh Barry within its circular embrace connected the personal story of the design to the emotion of an unforgettable moment. It was a communal experience that brought the narrative of the space to life.
- Clare Sartin, Deputy Editor at Elle Decoration
Then the moment arrives. Josh Barry, a friend and the musical centrepiece of the night, steps into the room. One man, one guitar. There’s no production, no distraction. James and I first heard Josh at House of Koko — another of our projects — and were blown away by his raw authenticity and deep musicality.
As Josh launches into the opening notes of Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come, a shiver passes through us all. His voice lifts, the music swells, and the library begins to hum its response, enfolding us and shutting out the world beyond. In that moment, we’re nowhere else. It’s just us, our guests, Josh, and a profound sense of truth, soul and presence.
The Library is everything James and I imagined. A design that is felt before it is seen. A room made for sound now answers with music.
The Library was never meant to be just a room: it was designed to hold emotion. Every element was designed and custom-made with feeling in mind, drawing attention inward towards a focal point where sound finds perfect resonance. It’s an intimate setting, ideal for hosting a one-of-a-kind happening — an invitation into our world, distilled to its personal, powerful essence.
This evening, every inch of the library is taken. The room is full, thick with anticipation. There’s a subtle charge in the air, an almost-electric expectancy as each guest has their own reaction to the Library’s sensory details. Curiosity is invited by the room’s many layers. There’s a shift when you enter, a sense of a pause that lengthens, the anticipation builds.
Our happening continues as we return with Josh and our guests to the Pirajean Lees studio. We share pizzas, wine, and listen to another impromptu set, the night lingering with a rare sense of togetherness. Then a surprise: Kwaye, Josh’s best friend joins him. They ask for three words, to improvise and create a song with us.
Kindness.
Moment.
Love.
What follows leaves us speechless, and some of us tearful, as we witness the pure beauty of their art — spontaneous music woven from the emotions The Library has evoked, and the connection between us all. It’s a perfect close to a night we’ll never forget.
