JAM Hotels opens a new chapter for the former MIMA building with the launch of JAM Sonor powered by VOLTA

The opening of a new music hub in Molenbeek and the closing of Asifose reflect JAM's growing ambition to create space for emerging culture.

Known for its hotels in Brussels, Ghent, Porto and Lisbon, JAM is increasingly expanding its role beyond hospitality. Rather than supporting culture through sponsorship alone, the group is investing in places where creativity can develop. This autumn, that vision takes shape through two connected milestones in Brussels: the opening of JAM Sonor powered by VOLTA in the former MIMA building and the closing of Asifose, the experimental creative space led by Espace Aygo.

While one project marks the beginning of a new cultural destination for music, the other concludes two years of artistic experimentation. Together, they illustrate JAM's ambition to use its buildings not only as places to stay, but as platforms for emerging artists, designers and musicians.

The opening of JAM Sonor is part of a broader vision that has gradually become central to JAM's identity. Across its hotels and buildings, the company increasingly creates opportunities for emerging creative practices by making spaces available to artists, designers and musicians.

In cities where affordable places to work, rehearse and exhibit are becoming increasingly scarce, JAM sees underused buildings as an opportunity to support cultural production directly. Rather than simply hosting cultural events, it aims to provide the conditions in which new ideas, collaborations and communities can develop.

JAM Sonor powered by VOLTA: a new home for music in the former MIMA

On 2 and 3 October 2026, the former MIMA building on the canal in Molenbeek will reopen as JAM Sonor powered by VOLTA, a new cultural venue dedicated to music, artistic development and live performance.

Developed in partnership with VOLTA, the Brussels organisation supporting emerging musicians, JAM Sonor responds to the growing need for affordable, high-quality infrastructure for music creation in the city.

Spread across four floors, the building will bring together rehearsal studios, production facilities, collaborative workspaces, listening sessions, concerts and public programming. Rather than functioning solely as a concert venue, JAM Sonor is conceived as a place where musicians can develop their practice, exchange ideas, meet audiences and connect with the wider music community.

The project responds to a concrete need within the Brussels music landscape. As social and economic pressure on artists continues to grow, affordable and qualitative infrastructure for rehearsal, production and presentation has become increasingly important. Together, JAM and VOLTA aim to provide a context in which emerging musicians can take risks, experiment and move towards a sustainable artistic practice.

The opening weekend on 2 and 3 October will feature talks, listening sessions, a music exhibition, concerts and DJ sets. From its first year onwards, JAM Sonor will host two music events each week, alongside industry gatherings and rooftop events from spring 2027

Asifose: the final chapter of a remarkable creative experiment

For the past two years, an empty building made available by JAM has quietly become one of Brussels’ most vibrant creative laboratories. Under the name Asifose, the building was taken over by Espace Aygo, a young multidisciplinary collective formed by Salomé Sperling, Line Murken, Jaime Le Bleu and Sijmen Vellekoop, who met during their studies at Design Academy Eindhoven before settling in Brussels.

Rather than functioning as a traditional studio or exhibition space, Espace Aygo invited fellow designers and artists to occupy the space. Asifose became a living environment, a workshop, a meeting place and an experimental platform all at once. Architecture, design, furniture, music, research and everyday life continuously informed one another. The building became a place where ideas could be tested, shared, built, questioned and shown.

Over the course of two years, Asifose grew into a temporary ecosystem for artists, designers, researchers, musicians and curators. It offered time, freedom and space — three conditions that are increasingly difficult to find in contemporary cities, yet remain essential for emerging cultural practices.

During that period, Espace Aygo established itself as one of the most exciting young collectives to emerge in Belgium. Their practice, rooted in collective living, spatial experimentation and an intuitive approach to design, attracted growing attention at home and abroad. After this Brussels chapter, the collective is now preparing its next step.

One vision, two milestones

Although different in nature, the closing of Asifose and the opening of JAM Sonor are part of the same long-term vision.

Asifose showed what becomes possible when artists and designers are given the freedom to occupy and transform a space. JAM Sonor builds on that experience by creating a lasting infrastructure for Brussels' music community.

Together, the two projects reflect JAM's broader ambition: to make hospitality an active contributor to the city's cultural ecosystem. Its buildings are not only places to stay, eat or meet, but also places where new ideas are developed, creative communities grow and culture is given the space to take shape.

About JAM Hotels

JAM is a series of open-door hotels in Brussels, Ghent, Porto and Lisbon, with upcoming locations in Marseille and Rome. The project is led by a collective of engineers, designers, makers, environmentalists and chefs. Inspired by the spirit of jam sessions, JAM creates unconventional hospitality projects where creativity, collaboration and experimentation are central.

Rather than striving for perfection, JAM focuses on character: real places, objects and people that create atmospheres where guests feel invited to connect. Environmental and social care are at the heart of the company’s approach, from the materials it uses and the producers it works with to the events it organises and the people it welcomes.

JAM is a certified B Corp™.

Manifesto

We are not hoteliers, but a collective of engineers, designers, creators, environmentalists and chefs, inspired by the spirit of jam sessions, where creativity knows no bounds.

The world is our playground. We devise hospitality projects that think outside the box and offer a genuine alternative to the ordinary.

We create meaningful projects that address social and environmental challenges.

We firmly believe that the finest achievements are always the result of collective effort.

We also believe that without the freedom to experiment, there can be no innovation. And without innovation, there can be no progress.

About VOLTA

VOLTA is a Brussels-based music centre that makes a lasting contribution to the development of musical talent in Brussels and beyond for already more than 7 years. As a place of support and creativity, VOLTA supports artists throughout their careers and offers a diverse audience a high-calibre musical programme as well as numerous cultural activities.

VOLTA empowers emerging musicians by creating a sustainable environment in which they can develop their artistic practice, professional skills, and creative careers. Rooted in a strong grassroots approach, we build bridges between talent, opportunity, and long-term artistic development, with a particular focus on the vulnerable transition from emerging artist to sustainable professional

We believe that investing in emerging artists means investing in the future of the music sector. By providing logistical, technical, and artistic support, we enable innovative talent to experiment, grow, and contribute to a diverse, resilient, and forward-looking music ecosystem in Brussels, Belgium, and beyond.

At a time when the conditions for musical creation are becoming increasingly precarious, both economically and socially, this support is more essential than ever.

Over the years, this approach has helped to bring numerous artists to the fore on the Belgian and international scenes, whilst also fuelling the centre’s production and performance activities. More experienced artists also find a space here to take a step back, reflect on their practice, experiment with new approaches and reconnect with the fundamentals of their work.

About Espace Aygo

Espace Aygo is a multidisciplinary collective formed by Salomé Sperling, Line Murken, Jaime Le Bleu and Sijmen Vellekoop. The members met while studying at Design Academy Eindhoven before settling in Brussels, where they transformed Asifose into a collective living and working environment.

Their practice brings together architecture, design, furniture, collective living and spatial experimentation. Over the past two years, Espace Aygo has developed Asifose as a total environment: a place where each room, object and gesture reflects a shared approach to making, living and thinking together.

After their Brussels chapter, the collective is preparing its next step.

Practical Information

Press Preview – Friday, 2 October

11:00 AM – Guided tour of the Asifose spaces and studios
12:30 PM – Lunch by Dindins, set within a scenography created by the Asifose residents
2:00 PM – Walk to JAM Sonor (former MIMA building)
3:00 PM – Presentation and guided tour of JAM Sonor
6:00 PM – Start of the concerts, open to the public

JAM Sonor, powered by VOLTA – Public Opening

Friday, 2 October