Speakers initially created by architect Jean Nouvel for his controversial Philharmonie de Paris concert hall are being put into production by French audio brand Amadeus.
The Philharmonia speakers had been initial created for the recording and mastering studios at the Philharmonia de Paris concert hall, which was also made by Nouvel, and boycotted by the architect on its opening evening after he claimed it was “not finished”.
They mark the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s initial venture into the planet of audio products. His earlier product styles include leather and rubber boots, and stacking metal chairs.
Nouvel worked with Amadeus engineer and co-founder Michael Deluc to design the 1.six-metre-tall speakers, which feature a wood-encased best half constructed from 547 machined pieces of birch veneer.
The speakers have an inner structure that draws on aircraft manufacturing processes, specifically wing design and style. The back of each device curves into a level that is shaped like the prow of a ship.
“The distinctive building technique of Philharmonia assists neutralise standing waves affecting sonic clarity and low-frequency definition, via an extremely complicated inner construction using a mixture of interlocking panels arranged in two perpendicular planes, each internet hosting several tuned notch resonators,” said Deluc.
Amadeus co-founder Bernard Byk originally trained as an architect, and mentioned the philosophy of the firm was about matching sound with space.
“Think about a reference sound technique with excellent layout, ergonomics and acoustics, as a sort of consecration,” said Byk. “Jean Nouvel’s imagination, exuberance and innovative genius, combined with Michel Deluc’s engineering, brought a brilliant resolution to life.”
The two,400 seat Philharmonie de Paris concert hall opened in January, three many years right after its authentic completion date. Nouvel won the work to style it in a 2007 competition with a scheme anticipated to cost €200 million, but the price had virtually doubled by 2015.
“In no situation was I at the origin of any cost overrun on this venture,” mentioned Nouvel, prior to filing a court order to distance himself from the building, which he mentioned had strayed from his design.
The centrepiece of the developing is the concert hall itself, which attributes wooden cladding and curving acoustic panels suspended from the ceiling.
The Philharmonie de Paris concert hall by Jean Nouvel
Industrial designer Ross Lovegrove has also branched out into speaker layout, launching a miniature model of his imposing two-metre-tall KEF speaker at London Design Festival 2015.
Far more unusual audio devices covered by Dezeen consist of Mathieu Lehanneur’s 20-sided Boom Boom speaker, and Japanese studio Nendo’s flat speaker created from decorated ceramic.
