Audio speaker makers regularly draw inspiration from outside the realm of audiophilia, shaping cabinetry and cases after designs referencing everything from automobiles, skyscrapers, kintsugi-repaired Japanese ceramics, to handbags. But a church might be a first, as conceptualized by Philipp Emrich and his brutalist desk speaker, Agnes.
Agnes’ Brutalist-inspired vertical and rectilinear form is a direct reference to the silhouette of the Gallery St. Agnes in Berlin. The former St. Agnes church was designed by architect Werner Düttmann and built in 1967 as a religious structure of “geometric austerity,” its spiritual sanctity guarded (if not entombed) by a sparingly embellished exterior. But since its remodel in 2013, its spiritual intent has evolved into one serving artistry – home to Johann Königs’ innovative art gallery.
The building’s uncompromising intent was clearly stated by Düttmann himself during its construction, describing his design as such: “The church doesn’t stand apart from everything else, it stands in the way.”
Similarly, Philipp Emrich’s Agnes speaker concept projects a towering presence that cannot be ignored, even while turned off. The two-piece system comprises a tower capped with a 360-degree sound speaker (aka the bell tower), adjoined to a secondary bass unit to deliver the low end.
Agnes is designed to stream audio via AirPlay and Bluetooth, or by using a direct USB-C connection accessible from front of the speaker – also offering enough power to charge devices while plugged in.
Emrich design operates around the tried and true tactile controls of a twin knob interface on the main unit, the top knob assigned to adjust the speakers 360-degree sound output according to optimal placement, and the lower knob controlling volume. A third knob on the bass unit is tasked to adjust bass.
To learn more about the Agnes speaker, visit philippemrich.com. And for more on the latest in design-forward audio gear, check out Design Milk’s speaker archives.