Brionvega TS502
Radio
1963 (designed), 1964 (manufactured)
1963 (designed), 1964 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
From the late 1950s, several noteworthy Italian designers became interested in the inherently plastic (i.e mouldable) quality of plastics, producing landmark designs such as Joe Colombo's 'Universale' stacking chair (see CIRC.887-1968) and Zanotta 'Blow' inflatable chair (see W.35-2010). These designers strove to celebrate man-made plastics as a group of materials with unique aesthetic and physical characteristics, to try to change the widespread perception of plastics as being cheap, shoddy and useful solely to imitate more expensive natural materials.
The box-like Brionvega TS502 radio was designed jointly by Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) and Richard Sapper (born 1932), who had gone into partnership in the late-1950s. The gleaming yellow ABS plastic shell folds open halfway along its length, allowing access to all of its controls. It is powered by six batteries, its portability and visual softness associates the TS502 with informal 'Pop' interiors of the 1960s, while also granting it a sense of intrigue and surprise.
The box-like Brionvega TS502 radio was designed jointly by Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) and Richard Sapper (born 1932), who had gone into partnership in the late-1950s. The gleaming yellow ABS plastic shell folds open halfway along its length, allowing access to all of its controls. It is powered by six batteries, its portability and visual softness associates the TS502 with informal 'Pop' interiors of the 1960s, while also granting it a sense of intrigue and surprise.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | ABS plastic and aluminium |
| Brief description | Portable radio, Brionvega TS502, designed by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper [1963], made by Brionvega, 1964 |
| Physical description | A radio with a yellow plastic body in the form of a double cube, folding open in the middle, on die-cast hinges, to reveal the receiver. The interior is black, with white dial numbers. The controls are on the right, and the speaker is to the left. Junction cables pass through the hinges connecting both boxes. There is a telescopic aerial on outer edge. Power supply is from six 1.5V batteries. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Object bought by Circulation Department from Zarach, 183 Sloane Street, London SW1 on 13th November 1973. Historical significance: Awards: 2. BIO Lubljana in 1966, Bundespreis 'Gute Form' in 1969, Compass D'Oro in 1970. The latter of these awards was in conjunction with the extended Brionvega range (see CIRC.5-1974), the design's citation for this award included the quote "...perfect, apparently inorganic shell, which reveals the source of life only after it opens..." A white example of this model was acquired in 1970 by the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In its original production run it was available in red, black, ochre and yellow. |
| Production | Attribution note: radio still manufactured with some changes (TS502, TS505, TS512 and TS522) |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | From the late 1950s, several noteworthy Italian designers became interested in the inherently plastic (i.e mouldable) quality of plastics, producing landmark designs such as Joe Colombo's 'Universale' stacking chair (see CIRC.887-1968) and Zanotta 'Blow' inflatable chair (see W.35-2010). These designers strove to celebrate man-made plastics as a group of materials with unique aesthetic and physical characteristics, to try to change the widespread perception of plastics as being cheap, shoddy and useful solely to imitate more expensive natural materials. The box-like Brionvega TS502 radio was designed jointly by Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) and Richard Sapper (born 1932), who had gone into partnership in the late-1950s. The gleaming yellow ABS plastic shell folds open halfway along its length, allowing access to all of its controls. It is powered by six batteries, its portability and visual softness associates the TS502 with informal 'Pop' interiors of the 1960s, while also granting it a sense of intrigue and surprise. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.502-1973 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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