Organic Texture Graces New Philips Georg Jensen Collaboration

The Copenhagen-based Georg Jensen catalog of elegant and sculpted metal homewares are mostly practical, with a few leaning more artistically expressive. Dutch multinational conglomerate Philips casts a much wider net, producing a broad catalog of consumer electronics and appliances representing a more contemporary aesthetic. The two Scandinavian brands make for odd bedfellows, but their unexpected collaboration has produced a unique tactile range of portable audio accessories meant to be touched and heard.

Taking cues from nature, with shapes evocative of stones sculpted by the the relentless force of rivers or ocean, each of the collection’s two Bluetooth audio speakers are draped almost entirely in an acoustically transparent Kvadrat textile, with only a small section embellished in polished steel detailing by way of Georg Jensen peeking at one end. The larger Philips Georg Jensen speaker TAJS50 is intended to be situated horizontally, while the smaller TAJS30 operates upright.

Both speakers are rated for wireless connectivity up to 20 meters distance, with 6 hours playback for the smaller TAJS30, and 20 hours play time for the larger 2 x 10 watt (rated power 30 watt) TAJS50. Interestingly, the smaller 4 watt TAJS30 is IPX7-rated, which means the unit can survive a dunk of up to one meter depth for 30 minutes without damage (alas, the same can’t be said for its Kvadrat wool speaker cover).

Leather panelling crafted by Scottish brand Muirhead covers the collection’s 10000 mAh, wireless Qi charging pad, the Philips Georg Jensen Power Bank.

Like the Power Bank, the wireless Bluetooth headphones case is graced with soft curves, intended to fit comfortably in the hand.

The entire collection was initially scheduled to be announced in Milan Design Week before the world-changing effects of COVID-19 altered plans, but Philips plans to make the collection available by mid-year globally as markets begin to (hopefully) reopen under safer circumstances.