USM x Symbol Audio Event
We visited the USM Record Shop in Marylebone last evening as part of London Design Festival, a temporary record shop built around the relationship between @usmmodularfurniture, music and the spaces we listen in.
USM Haller has been around since the 1960s. Paul Schärer Jr. and Swiss architect Fritz Haller developed the system for USM’s own offices, building a modular furniture system from chrome-plated steel tubes, panels and ball connectors. The system was patented in 1965, with production beginning in 1969.
What makes the record shop particularly fitting is what happened to USM outside the office. The dimensions of the system work remarkably well for 12-inch records and turntables, so USM pieces have naturally found their way into record collections, listening rooms and DJ setups over the years. USM now produces media configurations specifically designed around vinyl and hi-fi equipment.
That relationship has now been formalised through USM’s collaboration with @symbolaudio. Their collection includes vinyl storage, record stands, carts and cabinets built using the Haller system, alongside the new Speaker Modules being shown in the UK for the first time.
The Vinyl Factory is also part of the installation. Based in Hayes in West London, the factory is the UK’s only major vinyl pressing plant, continuing to produce records using original machinery from EMI’s manufacturing era. Its presses have been used to produce some of the most significant records in British music history, including releases by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Sex Pistols.
At the event today, we heard from the teams behind the collaboration and saw the system being used as an actual record shop, with a selection of new and old vinyl from @thevinylfactory, DJ equipment and @origincoffeeroasters.
It feels less like USM has designed furniture for music and more like they have formalised something people were already doing with the system.
London Design Festival runs until 20 September 2026, with events taking place across the city. Find the full programme and more events at londondesignfestival.com.
#47designfragment #londondesignfestival #USM #USMHaller #SymbolAudio #TheVinylFactory
