Jacob Jensen Design + B&O

Bang & Olufsen Designers
Jacob Jensen Design and Bang & Olufsen

Jacob Jensen Design received particular recognition in connection with Bang & Olufsen (B&O) where Jacob Jensen was chief designer for more than two decades and created an extensive line of audio products in a form language which was innovative and recognised on an international scale.

The working relationship between B&O and Jacob Jensen began in 1962 and went on in various forms until 1991. During the years 1964 - 85, Jacob Jensen developed the exclusive and aesthetic form language which today, continues to be the basis of B&O’s conceptual and visual platform.

From 1985 to 1989 Jacob Jensen functioned as adviser to B&O on matters of design and strategy. Altogether, Jacob Jensen has designed more than 100 products for B&O, among them music systems, amplifiers, record players, tape recorders, CD-players, remote controls and loudspeakers.  The majority of these products have been awarded design prizes both nationally and internationally as well as being included in museum collections all over the world. Many of Jacob Jensen’s design for B&O are included in the design Collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

As one of the few industrial designers in the world, Jacob Jensen was chosen in 1978 by The Museum of Modern Art for a solo exhibition: ‘Bang & Olufsen - Design for Sound by Jacob Jensen’.  The exhibition included 28 audio products.

Jacob Jensen’s relationship with B&O has resulted in a classic form language and a series of products, which alone - as the New York Times concluded in its review of the exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art’ - are “enough to earn him major rank among the 20th century’s industrial designers”.

Jacob Jensen Design - an exceptional gesture of recognition

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is one of the world’s leading museums of modern art. Along with art exhibitions, the museum also covers related areas, such as architecture and design.

The museum exhibited design as early as 1934, five years after its foundation. The intention was to document the design which was characteristic for the twentieth century. That is the basis and continues to be the goal for including design products in the collection.

An object is chosen on the basis of two criteria: quality and historical significance. as the museum puts it: ” An object is chosen on the basis of its quality, because it intends to attain, or has created a foundation for the ideals of beauty which has been established as important in our time”.

In 1972, seven Bang & Olufsen audio products, designed by Jacob Jensen were included in the Design Collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Jacob Jensen with the B&O design team (Beomaster 1900)

In 1978, The Musem of Modern Art established a solo exhibition: ‘Bang & Olufsen - Design for Sound by Jacob Jensen’ - which included 28 audio products.  The exhibition was both for B&O and, an exceptional gesture of recognition for at that time, the museum had only twice before arranged solo exhibitions of single companies’ products (an Olivetti exhibition in the thirties and a Braun exhibition in the sixties).

The Museum of Modern Art has a total of fifteen B&O audio products designed by Jacob Jensen included in their Design Collection. Furthermore, two Kirk/Alcatel E76 and EX76 telephones designed by Jacob Jensen and two Jacob Jensen watches 6101 and 6201 designed for Max René by Timothy Jacob Jensen are included in the Design Study Collection.

To quote Arthur Drexler, former director of The Museum of Modern Art: “In one thousand years, the Design Collection, we hope, will be an invaluable treasure containing some of the most beautiful cultural objects of our time. Many of them rival for beauty and importance but represent the best that has survived from earlier civilisations”.

Reproduced with kind permission of Jacob Jensen Design

Bang & Olufsen

B&O accepted the idea of long, flat and top-served unit.

In 1965, The Danish company Bang & Olufsen approached JACOB JENSEN DESIGN, asking for something new. B&O was presented with a model similar to the one General Electric had not dared to take on a few years earlier. The co-operation with B&O began in 1965 through to 1991 and resulted in approximately 80 different products and 1500 design models.

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