SOUND & VISION
KEF collaboration with Sir Terence Conran
Sound and art have long been connected and in our world of wireless soundwaves the speakers we use to listen to our favourite music are now just as valuable as a piece of modern day designed furniture. One of the originators of the British hi-fi industry KEF have been producing precision engineered speakers since the 60’s and have solidified their design partnership with Conran and Partners by launching a collaboration with designer Sir Terence Conran: The LSX Soundwave. The collaboration started with the KEF Music Gallery in Duddell Street in Central, Hong Kong; a space that elevates the idea of the showroom making it more reminiscent of an exclusive private club where guests are invited to leave the real world outside and immerse themselves in music and art. The interior by Conran and Partners complements the acoustics of the KEF audio products with areas that include The Collector’s Lounge, a space where guests can enjoy Dark Waves; a sensory experience by digital artist collaborative teamLab, which combines immersive 3D effects and high-resolution music. Masterpieces by Hong Kong ink painter Nancy Chu Woo and renowned Japanese visual artist Yayoi Kusama adorn the space. The gallery also features pieces by British contemporary installation artist Julian Opie and Australian photographer Luke Shadbolt. The speaker collaboration takes the partnership to another level; the LSX Soundwave’s base comes in Conran’s trademark blue, whilst stylised soundwaves weave their way through the grey fabric that
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encapsulates the LSX to enhance the original speaker. It provides a tactile and visual uniqueness that echoes the late Sir Terence Conran’s early work as a textile designer. Conran at the time said, “Simplicity, beauty and functionality are the solid foundations of good design but I always think a magic ingredient or element of surprise can raise the whole look or mood of a product all together. A flash of colour, an intriguing pattern or an element of texture perhaps. When I sat down to consider the design of the fabric for the LSX Soundwave, I looked out from my desk over the river Thames and the ripples over the water and visualised waves of sound passing through the air.” The Conran partnership continues KEF’s long tradition of design collaboration. Previously, KEF collaborated with the visionary designer Ross Lovegrove on the ambitious Muon project and the creation of the original LSX was overseen by British designer Michael Young. KEF was founded in 1961 by Raymond Cooke OBE (1925–1995) with an ethos based on the continuing quest to find new and better ways of reproducing sound. Since the company’s establishment, KEF has maintained a flair for unusual and controversial speaker engineering, design and material use. KEF has always driven innovation in sound with examples including its iconic ‘egg’, Muon and Blade speakers. Visit KEF Music Gallery at 12/F, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong. For more information visit: uk.kef.com & conranshop.co.uk Instagram @kef.hongkong & @conranandpartners
Great British Design
