Bang Olufsen Presents The Contrast Collection

Bang & Olufsen today announces the Contrast Collection – a limited eight-piece collection created in collaboration with Danish design studio Norm Architects.

Taking pleasure in difference, the Contrast Collection is an exploration of material combinations and tactile surfaces – between minimal and expressive, rough and smooth, light and dark, silence and loudness, harmony and noise – celebrating the shared curiosity and craftsmanship between the two brands using material tensions that intrigue and excite.

“The Contrast Collection is a timeless interpretation of current interior trends focusing on tactility and textures. The combination of colour tones, materials and surfaces makes the collection a unique, new offering in a timeless design. The products are not only aesthetically aligned – they also deliver amazing Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound,” says Kresten Bjørn Krab-Bjerre, Design Director at Bang & Olufsen.

Light grey and anthracite colour palette

The colour palette of the collection was determined by exploring new ways of working with aluminium, which is a material that has become an integral and ubiquitous part of the Bang & Olufsen design aesthetic. Bang & Olufsen and Norm Architects wanted to turn the mirror-like aluminium into a soft and warm spectrum of colours that could put focus on textures applied to the aluminium. The light grey and anthracite colour tones were created from the same master sample of anthracite – an earthy, nearly-black grey – completed at the anodising treatment facility at Bang & Olufsen headquarters.

The brushed aluminium textures have been obtained after countless experiments with different surface treatments. There is a fine balance between presenting the application of a brushed effect as deliberate and controlled, and after a long process that started with hand brushing pieces of flat aluminium for added tactility, the aluminium experts of Bang & Olufsen managed to achieve giving Contrast its distinctive appearance.

Creating a new sound transparent wool fabric

Bang & Olufsen helped create its first transparent wool-fabric with Danish design textile company Kvadrat in 2015. For the Contrast Collection, Bang & Olufsen and Norm Architects wanted to explore a new type of textile to bring more tactility to the products and to integrate them beautifully in the home. The fabric – made of wool and viscose – originates from Kvadrat’s Hallingdal Fabric providing excellent durability, while the viscose adds brilliance and depth to the colour. The original version uses thick yarns, so the structure has been loosened to deliver high acoustic performance, while maintaining its rich texture.