Radio in Cristallo by Franco Albini – Cassina I Maestri Collection.
This radio, mounted between two supporting sheets of tempered glass, was originally conceived by Franco Albini as a prototype model for his own home in 1938. The idea was born when the architect received a traditional wooden-cased radio as a wedding present that same year that, due to its embalmed and clumsy aspect, he decided to take apart and reassemble to maintain only its essential electric components visible.
The project that Cassina proposes today is the result of a subsequent step developed by Albini for industrial production that was presented at the competition for modern furniture held by the Swiss company Wohnbedarf in Zurich in 1940.
Radio in Cristallo is a symbol of Franco Albini’s design method. The architect believed that this technological object, at the time contained in a cumbersome and above all incongruent wooden container, could be restored to an authentic modernity.
In close collaboration with the Fondazione Franco Albini, Cassina has developed the radio presented at the 1940 Wohnbedarf. This model, with identical proportions, follows the same concept as the radio disassembled for Albini’s own home but, probably aware of the difficulties for a serial production, he decides to encase the technical part in a monolith suspended in the supporting glass structure.
Today the Radio in Cristallo has a state-of-the-art B&C speaker and the FM radio, DAB radio and Bluetooth pairing functions can be navigated with the four stainless knobs located on the front glass plate together with a 7" display.
In a sign of authenticity, each radio bears the logo and signature of Franco Albini and the progressive number that corresponds to the identity card that accompanies each piece, like all items in the Cassina I Maestri Collection.
The excellent sound performance of the radio can be further enhanced with an optional subwoofer.
Materials:
structure in extra-clear tempered glass sheets; chassis in matt black lacquered MDF; power and speaker cables upholstered in black fabric; visible metal parts, screws and display knobs in satin or painted white stainless steel; subwoofer in matt black lacquered MDF.
