Downtown Design
redazione 10/07/2021

Franco Albini and authentic modernity

The Radio in Cristallo, presented by Cassina for the I Maestri collection, was originally a prototype by Franco Albini, in pursuit of its true essence

Franco Albini created a prototype of this radio in 1938, for his own home, after having received the gift of a traditional radio in a wooden cabinet. The idea was to remove the excess material, bringing out the true nature of the design and keeping only the essential electrical components on view.

Today Cassina has developed the Radio in Cristallo based on the model of a subsequent step taken by Albini (slated for industrial production, and submitted in the competition for modern furnishings held by the Swiss company Wohnbedarf in Zurich in 1940), keeping the same proportions, with an advanced B&C speaker and FM, DAB and Bluetooth functions, controlled with four steel knobs placed on the glass front, together with a 7-inch display.

Cassina, Radio in Cristallo by Franco Albini, I Maestri Collection

Cassina, Radio in Cristallo by Franco Albini, I Maestri Collection

Every radio bears the logo and signature of Franco Albini, together with a number that corresponds to the ID card of every piece in the Cassina I Maestri collection: a very special limited edition of just five pieces.

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