Bang & Olufsen at 100: A Century of Design Still Ahead of Its Time

At its Shanghai exhibition, the brand reaffirms a legacy defined by forward-thinking form—consistently shaping what comes next.

Some brands last for a century, while others merit such longevity. Bang & Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer of aesthetically exquisite audio devices, undoubtedly belongs to the latter category. Established in 1925 in a humble attic in Struer, Denmark, by engineering students Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, the business has dedicated the past century to convincing consumers that conventional speakers are inadequate. The centenary exhibition in Shanghai, A Century of Sound (百年拂声), presented this argument with significant significance. The exhibition, located in six immersive chambers at Shengjia Garden — a century-old mansion on Hengshan Road — chronicled the brand's transformation from a pioneering Danish newcomer to a global design behemoth. The most noticeable observation was the strikingly modern appearance of their archive. Products created three decades ago had a serene assurance that renders contemporary offerings seemingly anxious for recognition. The characteristic of authentic design intelligence is the rejection to pursue fleeting trends.

Every room narrated an own chapter. The Art Deco salon, lavishly decorated and evocative, demonstrated that B&O’s refined industrial design could compete with the era’s most elaborate interiors – a considerable achievement. However, it was the Minimalism room that caused me to hesitate. A polished stainless steel cube, minimalist and exact, it instantly evoked the 1990s — an era characterised by sleek designs and an air of aloof sophistication that is, undoubtedly, seeing a cultural resurgence. B&O not only engaged in that aesthetic; they contributed to its creation. Within that chamber, I contemplated: this exemplifies a brand perpetually five years in front for a century.

The Art of the A9 was a collaboration with five Chinese creatives that transformed B&O’s iconic speaker into a medium for cultural dialogue: architect Zhang Yonghe, designer Li Ximi, vocalist Mavis Fan, tech innovator He Tongxue, and actor and brand ambassador Gong Jun. Each individual contributed a unique sense to the A9, although He’s contribution was the most remarkable: a flowery design that visibly flourished with the application of heat to its surface. It was the most subtly captivating thing I observed all evening. The last room demanded a specific composure. The focal point was the Beolab 90 Titan Edition — a decade after the speaker's initial launch, this exclusive centenary edition entirely removes the acoustic coverings to reveal the meticulously crafted aluminium cabinet in its unadulterated, 65kg splendour, with the tweeter housing precision-machined from a single block of solid aluminium and each fastener individually polished and inscribed with “1925.” Adjacent to it was the Beolab 90 Alchemy Edition, featuring wood struts embellished with 24-carat gold-plated nodes and grilles meticulously handmade in bronze thread by skilled artisans. They argued that B&O had never genuinely engaged in the production of speakers. They create items that captivate you while generating exceptional music.

The evening culminated at JZ Club, Shanghai’s premier jazz venue, where a modern ensemble performed a century of popular music in chronological order, spanning from the jazz-age exuberance of "Putting on the Ritz" to The Weeknd’s "Blinding Lights." Leslie Cheung's rendition of "Monica" captivated the audience, as it consistently does over decades. The five collaborating artists subsequently joined the stage for a panel discussion on the concept of timelessness in design, aptly concluding an evening that had effectively substantiated this claim. Certain brands mature over time. Others, akin to a meticulously crafted piece of Danish metal, merely persist.