Audio speaker makers recurrently draw inspiration from exterior the realm of audiophilia, shaping cabinetry and instances after designs referencing every part from vehicles, skyscrapers, kintsugi-repaired Japanese ceramics, to purses. However a church is likely to be a primary, as conceptualized by Philipp Emrich and his brutalist desk speaker, Agnes.
Agnes’ Brutalist-inspired vertical and rectilinear kind is a direct reference to the silhouette of the Gallery St. Agnes in Berlin. The previous St. Agnes church was designed by architect Werner Düttmann and inbuilt 1967 as a non secular construction of “geometric austerity,” its non secular sanctity guarded (if not entombed) by a sparingly embellished exterior. However since its rework in 2013, its non secular intent has advanced into one serving artistry – house to Johann Königs’ revolutionary artwork gallery.
The constructing’s uncompromising intent was clearly acknowledged by Düttmann himself throughout its development, describing his design as such: “The church doesn’t stand aside from every part else, it stands in the way in which.”
Equally, Philipp Emrich’s Agnes speaker idea tasks a towering presence that can’t be ignored, even whereas turned off. The 2-piece system contains a tower capped with a 360-degree sound speaker (aka the bell tower), adjoined to a secondary bass unit to ship the low finish.
Agnes is designed to stream audio by way of AirPlay and Bluetooth, or through the use of a direct USB-C connection accessible from entrance of the speaker – additionally providing sufficient energy to cost gadgets whereas plugged in.
Emrich design operates across the tried and true tactile controls of a twin knob interface on the primary unit, the highest knob assigned to regulate the audio system 360-degree sound output based on optimum placement, and the decrease knob controlling quantity. A 3rd knob on the bass unit is tasked to regulate bass.
To be taught extra concerning the Agnes speaker, go to philippemrich.com. And for extra on the most recent in design-forward audio gear, try Design Milk’s speaker archives.
