The timeless design of Brionvega goes to China and Korea

Brionvega goes to China and Korea

The new drivepro showroom opens in Shenzhen, inside a corner entirely dedicated to Brionvega and its products.

You can find on display the new radiofonografo rr226 fo-st in red by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the new totem rr231 by Mario Bellini, the Algol and Doney televisions and the legendary radio.cubo designed by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper.

Mario Bellini Exhibition

2022.01.28(Fri) – 2022.02.19(Sat)

At EDITORI SEONGSU

EDITORI opens a special exhibition where it is possible to see for the first time in Korea the new totem rr231 by Brionvega.

The totem rr231 was originally designed by Mario Bellini in 1970, at the height of the interaction between electronics, pop art and high design. Conceiving the freestanding architectural piece, Bellini created a purist white half-metre cube that unfolded into a cutting-edge (for the era) stereo system, incorporating a turntable and AM/FM radio, with concealed controls revealed by unfolding the wings.

The totem went into production the following year, garnering an appropriate cult following and finding its way into MoMA’s permanent design collection. Bellini’s approach to tech was also recently celebrated at the Cooper Hewitt; he is one of a select group of designers who paved the way for a more ascetic and human relationship with technology.

To celebrate 50 years of Totem, Brionvega has reissued the RR231 in a new, updated edition. Sold through the MoMA Design Store, the new model retains the exact same shape but finds space for DAB, a USB output, and revised and upgraded speakers (three on each ‘wing’).

Numbered and signed by Bellini, the Brionvega rr231 Totem is a beautiful reminder of the heyday of immersive, freestanding audio systems.