Audi design

Touching in sound. Exceptional in shape. The Bösendorfer grand by Audi design. See what happens when Bösendorfer collaborates with
Audi, the distinguished German automobile manufacturer.

Tradition and innovation combined

With the premier of the Audi design grand to a global audience in July 2009 for the 100th anniversary of the German automobile manufacturer, Bösendorfer followed the formal and color language of the brand with the four rings.

"We had respect for the challenge of making a new design for such a sensitive instrument,” says Wolfgang Egger, design director for Audi. The Audi Design Center team in Munich set itself the task of dressing a concert grand in Audi garb.

The Audi design grand continues the Viennese piano manufacturer's long tradition: dressing the purest sound in innovative design.

The Audi design grand follows the formal and color language of the brand with the four rings.

Perfect in form and beauty, the new Audi design grand wows music lovers and designers alike.

Closed side rim of the bass

The most striking feature of the new Bösendorfer grand is the closed side rim of the bass. It not only lends the instrument unusual presence and stability, it also allows it to project the bass more strongly into the auditorium. The liberal surfaces make for a clear shape; there are no ornaments, and the edges and lines are sharply defined. The lid extends optically all the way down to the floor (it integrates seamlessly into the leg). For this complex lid shape, Bösendorfer has developed a custom press mold that is unique in piano manufacturing.

Hydraulically attenuated fall board

Upon closer inspection it is evident that the lid is inserted directly into the case. When viewing from the side, the elegant sweep of the treble side is thereby not interrupted by a seam. The lower edge of the case thereby directly rises backwards away from the pianist. An optical trick: the attention is thus carefully directed to the musician.

The delicate metal leg, with its aluminum look, accounts for the sense of lightness on the treble side. The pedal lyre follows this simple and, by virtue of the aluminum finish, high-tech design. The interlocking metal adjustments necessitate a new dimension in precision construction and manufacturing.

Without the otherwise typical flanges on the sides, the keybed looks as though it were slid in. The hydraulically attenuated fall board is recessed, and the respective hinge integrated into the lid. The music rack is covered with a net material for optimal sound permeability

A harmonious whole in colors and materials

In consideration of the touching Bösendorfer sound, the acoustical construction within the piano was left untouched and thereby retains everything that a genuine Bösendorfer has promised since 1828. Nonetheless, the colors of the cast-iron frame (grey) and the damper felts (white) have been adjusted to match Audi’s brand image, from which results a harmonic and smooth interplay of colors and materials. The music rack is covered with a net material for optimal sound permeability.

The main lid, with its two-level prop stick made of metal, retains Audi’s aluminum optics. It opens in conjunction with the bass side rim and thereby permits deep insight into the instrument’s basic construction. The specially designed bench rounds out the modern image of Bösendorfer's new design grand.

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