Brionvega's Futuristic Design

Brionvega was founded in the 1960s by the Brions, a husband and wife team who decided to enter the industrial design sector with their signature electronic pieces. These were more than just objects: they were communication devices designed with a unique style that could reflect the personality of the user. The objective was to upend the concept of electronic devices by creating design versions of the radio, the tv and the radio-phonograph. The company’s first projects were done by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper, who were able to focus the company’s image right away and allow it to stand out on the market.

You can find Brionvega products in Milan and the surrounding province at our Bredaquaranta showrooms, and in the spaces dedicated to furniture where Italian and international design are the main attractions.

Success arrived with Brionvega products inspired by space travel, which featured so-called “Space Age” aesthetics on objects with futuristic design. These pieces were supposed to bring the allure of space inside our daily habits through the combination of coloured plastic and reflective metals.

At the same time that the new company headquarters designed by Marco Zanuso opened in Asolo, Brionvega decided to invest in manufacturing artistic objects by employing artisans and craftsmen that were able to make excellent products. In the years that followed, they launched the radio phonograph designed by the Castiglioni brothers, the radio cube by Zanuso, and the Totem by Bellini.

In addition to their futuristic aesthetics, Brionvega products are characterised by movement, or rather the presence of a dynamic component that can be moved. Some examples are the portable radio and the television with a handle, made for people to take them along so that they can be used at any time and in any place. The combination of these two peculiarities (futuristic design and movement) was the reason that the company won the Compasso d’Oro in 1962 for the Doney 14” television by Zanuso and Sapper, the first portable transistor television set made in Europe. In 1970, Brionvega won their second Compasso d’Oro for the production, high quality, and collaboration with the most acclaimed Italian designers. Today, Brionvega products are included in the collections of the most famous design museums in the world, like the MoMA and the Triennale in Milan.

Brionvega Art Products

Radiocubo was designed in 1964 by Sapper and Zanuso, and it is one of the most iconic products of that time period. In its closed position, it appears to be merely a coloured cube, but when opened, it functions as an FM radio and a DAB radio. Moreover, it has a wireless connection to allow the user to listen their personal playlists wherever they are. This product was ahead of its time when it came out, and it changed the way people listened to music.

The radiofonografo (radio phonograph) designed by the Castiglioni brothers is an actual puzzle that still amuses design enthusiasts. Its modular structure lets the user change positions of the speakers and the keypad to fit their necessities, which creates an authentic relationship between the object and its user. Today, the radio phonograph is made on order with the same care and attention of expert Italian craftsmen, just like when it was first produced.

The Totem by Bellini is a white cube that unfolds into a sophisticated Hi-Fi stereo with two speakers, a radio and a record player. Its timeless and discreet design allows it to be inserted into any home to provide unique moments of listening pleasure.

If you want to find out more about these iconic products, we would be happy to see you at our showrooms. Bredaquaranta is an official Brionvega dealer in Milan and Sesto San Giovanni.