sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic designinstallation view of area 1: icon and area 2: insight

 

 

 

this year marked the first occasion in which japanese electronics company sony exhibited at milan design week. together in a partnership with UK based designers barberosgerby (edward barber and jay osgerby) exclusively for this event, they presented ‘contemplating monolithic design’, an exhibition which showcased the latest in sony’s creativity, exploring the extension and integration of electronics within furniture and architectural design.

 

the seed of the exhibition was sony’s new design concept, monolithic design, which seeks only what is essential, leading us to consider the sense of presence products have within a space. this approach has the possibility of changing the face of future home entertainment in the context of interior design.

 

visitors entered an anechoic chamber in which they were given a glimpse of the possibilities of how technology and design could potentially shape the living room of the future. the noiseless environment, gave focus to the sound and audio technology on display. all experimental works in progress, the space was divided into 5 areas highlighting each of the archetypes which sony and barberosgeryby developed: icon, insight, intimate, integrate, install.

 

 

area 1: icon the essence of monolithic design

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design installation view of area 1: icon

 

 

 

the first area was meant to capture monolithic design at its purest and most symbolic level. the object is set in a monumental style, into a slab of slate, representing the dynamic presence of a form, which stands silently.

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design

 

 

 

area 2: insight sound and light in a single object

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design image © designboom

 

 

 

area 2 demonstrated how sound and light could integrate and coexist within interior spaces. owing to the development of sony’s unique speaker drive system, vertical drive-technology and proprietary digital signal processing technology, speakers can now be integrated to LED lighting to maintain a personalized decor. the four objects of ‘insight’ utilize materials such as cultured marble, organic glass and wood which fit seamlessly into numerous home environments, hiding any indications of electronic equipment. the harmony of light and sound emanating from the omni-directional speaker, produced a 360 degree acoustic field, embodying a new archetype.

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design image © designboom

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design image © designboom

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design image © designboom

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design installation view of area 2: insight image © designboom

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design

 

 

area 3: intimate personal visual soundfield

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design installation view of area 3

 

 

 

the personal visual soundfield of area 3 was an exercise in the essential. a television and near-field speakers were paired together, creating a private sphere of entertainment which offered a soundstage with impressive presence. visitors were immersed in an audio and video content without any disturbance or distraction. a demonstration in near-field sound, combined with special edition furniture, the apparatus becomes the archetype, facilitating the exploration of essential values and presenting new personal audio-visual experience.

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design general view of the exhibition space

 

 

area 4: integrate visual sound furniture

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design installation view of area 4 image © designboom

 

 

 

integration of technology into the home in a cohesive manner is the underlying theme of the monolithic design concept. area 4 exhibited visual sound furniture. here, the mechanical aspect of the television or audio system is incorporated into this archetype, to create audio without the imposition of a massive technological device. the television stand was made by stereolithography, a 3D printing process providing a pattern and unique structure, achieving acoustic transparency.

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design area 4: integrate

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design

 

 

area 5: install architectural furniture integrated with sound lights

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design installation view of area 5: install

 

 

 

the final area was ‘install’, where experimental products and furniture populated the abstracted space of a living room. the essential elements of a speaker, lights and television no longer dominate, but their simplicity is immediately apparent.

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design installation view of area 5: install image © designboom

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design

 

 

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design aerial view of the exhibition space

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design up close of the sound absorbing walls image © designboom

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design image © designboom

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design image © designboom

 

 

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design edward barber & jay osgerby portrait © designboom

 

 

 

 

sony and barberosgerby: contemplating monolithic design phillip rose / sony creative member & kazuo ichikawa / project leader portrait © designboom

 

 

 

 

 

exhibition details: exhibition design: universal studio design graphic design: bibliothèque sound design: yasuhiro morinaga visual interaction design: yusuke shigeta