An icon is reborn – Beolab 18

Beolab 8000 was a brilliant clever piece of design done by David Lewis. It stands for all what I strive for, inventive strongly iconic design, yet almost invisible when not in focus. In its essence it was a slim aluminum tube where the sounds comes out, but with two clever inventions: The first invention was the conical lower end that gave it a light expression like it was balancing on a toe tip and giving it a shape that makes you think of an organ pipe. The second invention was a front with a geometry that made it possible to use speaker drivers with a bigger membrane than the tube diameter of the cabinet.

When I finally accepted to make a new Beolab 8000, I wanted it to have the same essence but give it a design that belongs to today and taking advantage of the opportunities the new technology is giving us, like the acoustic lens, digital signal processing and wireless connectivity.

Beolab 18 is in its essence still an aluminum tube where the sound comes out. The tube looks even slimmer now because of the subtle curvature that runs unbroken from the conical bottom of the tube and up to the top. The shape reminds you not just of an organ pipe but more of music instruments like brass loops. The conical bottom is like a mouthpiece and the top with the acoustic lens curvature reminds you about the bell of a trumpet.

With the lens is at focus at the top, I wanted to express crystal clear sound and a high level of craftsmanship and attention to details. All elements are in aluminum and joined precisely together so it looks like an integrated part of the aluminum tube. The top of the lens has a curvature that is mimicking the lens geometry. A very slim ring of light is adding to the precision.

With the new front I wanted to create a poetic expression of sounds coming out from the tube. The lamellas looks like they are fanning out the sound just like when you draw sunshine from a sun. I wanted to change the material from fabric to something more musical and furniture like, hence the use of wood and the black solid composite. I feel comfortable when surrounded by natural wood from furniture and objects, and I wanted to bring that feel to Beolab 18 as well. To me this softening wooden element perfectly balances the precision and sheen of the aluminum. We would never have been able to make this new front and obtain a high class sound performance without the acoustic lens sitting above the front.

I was inspired by my memories from visiting the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, and you will find hints of music instruments all over from the curvature of the aluminum tube to the lamellas that has a reminiscent of strings from cellos or guitars. For the wooden front in particular I was inspired by the repetition of wooden elements you find in old and modern architecture, like the samurai houses in Takayama, or the New Academy of Arts in Hangzhou by the architect Wang Shu, and in objects like the room divider by the architect Alvar Aalto.

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