The Concrete Canvas Open-Baffle Speaker
A design masterpiece that showcases its wires and mechanics instead of hiding them.
1Challenging Traditional Speaker Design
Hagar Guri's A-PQ 31.37 speaker defies the standard 'concealment' logic in audio equipment. Made from concrete canvas, this design openly displays drivers, wires, and mechanical connections. This special material hardens when hydrated, offering an industrial yet refined aesthetic. Unlike conventional speakers, this design shows the listener how the technology works.
2Concrete Canvas: An Unusual Material Choice
The concrete canvas used in A-PQ 31.37 is typically seen in emergency shelters or construction projects, rarely in audio equipment. This material offers a different character from synthetic plastics and MDF with its density and rigidity. Its curved form achieves both an industrial and surprisingly refined appearance.
3Advantages of Open-Baffle Design
Open-baffle speaker design has been known in audiophile circles for decades. This design allows sound to radiate both forward and backward, providing a more natural listening experience. However, it often compromises low-frequency performance. Guri solves this with a custom control unit integrated into the system, featuring digital signal processing and pre-amplification.
4Space-Interactive Design
The speakers hang from steel cables, appearing almost detached from the floor. This design changes the relationship between the listener and the object. Unlike traditional speakers, it intentionally occupies space and demands to be seen. This approach redefines the spatial relationship of audio equipment with architecture.
5Cohesive Design Language
Every detail in Guri's design has been carefully considered. Exposed fasteners and typographic elements create a consistent material language throughout the system. The control unit belongs to the same visual world as the speakers. This cohesion makes A-PQ 31.37 feel like a fully realized idea rather than a student experiment.
6On the Honesty of Technology
A-PQ 31.37 contributes to an ongoing debate in the design world: what does it mean to design technology honestly? Modern electronics culture is built on an aesthetic of smooth surfaces and hidden complexity. Guri proposes the opposite: this visibility that shows how something is built and why it sounds the way it does could be its own form of refinement.
7Impact on the Industry
It's unclear whether this design will influence mainstream speaker design. The audio equipment industry is quite conservative, and audiophiles are deeply attached to longstanding traditions. But for those following the intersection of material research, acoustics, and spatial design, A-PQ 31.37 is a project that makes you reconsider what a speaker should be.
8Not Just Heard, But Seen
Hagar Guri's design redefines the concept of a speaker. A-PQ 31.37 isn't just a device you listen to, but also an object you look at and think about. This approach makes us question the aesthetic and conceptual dimensions of functional products. This breath of fresh air in the design world could inspire future product designs.
Original article: Yanko Design — Beton Kumaştan Yapılmış Açık Bağlantılı Hoparlör