What if everything was possible?

For Tiina Kierysch, this question (and hope) deeply enables her energy and drive as a creative. As the head of design at Bang & Olufsen since 2022, Kierysch leads a team of industrial designers, CMF designers and CAD sculptors and is also responsible for the creative direction of the luxury audio brand’s product designs (the entire portfolio of speakers, headphones and earphones), design collections, brand collaborations and partnership products (automotive partners).

Located in Struer and Copenhagen, Denmark, B&O (founded in 1925 in Struer by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen) is one of the most known market leaders in acoustic innovation, known to leverage and push the boundaries of audio technology to consistently deliver world-class products, enabled by its operation in more than 70 markets with 900 employees.

At this year’s iteration of Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign (which ran from June 12 - 14, 2024), Bang & Olufsen reimagined their most recent design icons for the modern-day through The Art of Recreating. Endeavouring to explore the intersection between the past, present and future and the emotional connection this begets, B&O unveiled Danish artist Kasper Eistrup’s recreation of its timeless Beosound A9 speaker at the design event, which was originally conceived a decade ago by Danish designer Øivind Slaatto, who designed the circular speaker to act as ‘a canvas for creativity.’ Visitors at the design festival also got to engage with the sound experience from Bang & Olufsen’s latest re-created classic Beosound 9000 (originally designed by the revered industrial designer David Lewis, who believed in slow evolution) CD player from 1996 paired with the modern Beolab 28 speakers for a powerful listening experience.

“Following the success of the Beogram 4000c recreated turntable in 2020, Beosystem 9000c is the second project in the recreated classics series that demonstrates Bang & Olufsen's commitment to the brand's longevity promise: ‘Creating products that can stand the test of time’”, the brand conveys.  

In conjunction with STIR’s exclusive mini-interviews with creative directors and design heads at 3daysofdesign 2024 (of brands including Sony, Vitra, &Tradition, and more), we also chatted with Kierysch about Bang & Olufsen’s art of recreating, and the Danish brand’s commitment to ‘beautiful sound, timeless design and elevated craftsmanship.’  

Edited excerpts from the conversation between Tiina Kierysch (head of design at Bang & Olufsen) and Samta Nadeem (curatorial director at STIR) below:

Samta Nadeem: Given that we're meeting during 3daysofdesign, where everyone is showing something new, could you comment on what The Art of Recreating means for a brand like B&O?

Tiina Kierysch: This year, we showcased The Art Of Recreating through two installations: the first one is by Kasper Eistrup—he is a musician and an artist who has merged his visual thoughts onto the cover of the A9. This speaker has so much fabric real estate, that it almost becomes a canvas—it is a very thankful object. Apart from being a speaker, it really is a piece of art wherein [Eistrup] showcases his design called Cacophonia, which is sound chaos, in a way he visualises sound.

The other design installation showcases the Beosound 9000C together with the Beolab 28 speakers, we call it the Beosystem 9000C music system and this art of recreating comes through very strongly in the CD player. We actually sourced 200 CD players from the '90s when the product was created, to recreate them, refurbish them, resurface all the parts, create a new CMF and basically, relaunch it. This relaunch is also fully connected with modern technology and usage trends, which means that you can play these contemporary speakers through an app.

The art of recreating is important for us as a brand. We are all about longevity—we want our products to last as long as possible; we want them to be investments, something you would want to pass on to the next generation…We also focus greatly on working modularly with the designs so that you can easily repair them. You can also exchange the legs of the A9 or its cover, apart from playing around with the colours, materials and finishes by exchanging different parts.

The art of recreating is important for us as a brand. We are all about longevity. We want our products to be investments, something that you would want to pass on to the next generation. – Tiina Kierysch, head of design, Bang & Olufsen

Especially in the times that we are in, we need to consider ‘all’ of us and how products can be made to last in different ways. There are many ways of approaching this and that's where the ‘art of recreating’ becomes central.

Samta: Yes, when we think of sustainability initiatives in design, we hear a lot about recycling, upcycling, circularity…Here, refurbishing to upcycle in a way that brings nostalgia and new technology together is genuinely interesting to experience.

Tiina: Absolutely! We are also working with a certification called ‘Cradle to Cradle’, where there are some specific requirements in terms of material and water usage, production methods and how we go about creating products. It is the most ambitious eco-label and that's why we think that was a good one for us to tap into. We have now three products that have a ‘Cradle to Cradle’ certification and we intend to expand in that space as well.

Samta:Dare to Dream is the theme for 3daysofdesign 2024. As B&O’s head of design, what's the most ‘daring’ design strategy you bring to the studio?

Tiina: That is a great question. So, our approach at Bang & Olufsen is trying to get into [imaginary/ imaginative] worlds. Think about this: What if everything was possible? What might a speaker look like? How else can headphones perform? What else can a TV be? Let’s start at the end of the art of the possible. [Therefore], to me, being daring is very much about staying curious and open-minded and never letting go of that ethos. In relation, Bang & Olufsen as a brand has always been challenging the status quo.

When designing something well, it is important to really care about what you are doing. – Tiina Kierysch, head of design, Bang & Olufsen

We have always loved to think about how consumer electronics might evolve, as we operate somewhere at the intersection of interior design and technology. We love to think about how we could change the meaning of speakers. An example is that of the Beosound Shape here on the wall, which is not just a speaker but an art piece. We also have the Beovision Harmony TV—when it is closed, the TV screen hides behind the wooden panels.

Since we are very much inspired by fashion, another example is our headphones—a pair of headphones is part of your outfit and your style, so we love to challenge the type of consumer electronics we are working with if it can have an extended meaning and how it can fit into your life.

In many ways, design can provide very beautiful solutions to everyday challenges. You just need to stay curious and very open-minded.

Samta: Wonderful. Lastly, what is that one value or mantra with which you would like to STIR up the future?

Tiina: That's a million-dollar question.

I think the world in general needs more collaboration, we need more sustainable design solutions and if we do both of them together, we head towards more longevity. I believe there are different levers to how we get there. I think design can help and when designing something well, it's important to really care about what you're doing.

To me, as a design leader, design excellence can help move the kind of collaborative solutions to higher levels and improve the world in different ways. So, when design excellence, collaboration, care and commitment merge, we can all get to a better place.

STIR navigates through key design districts, highlights and events of 3daysofdesign 2024. Tap here to know more.