52 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK AU G U S T 2019
WORDS: TOM BAILEYTechnology is disappearing before our eyes: streaming apps
have replaced DVD players, wi-fi has banished cables and AI
voice assistants have started to kill off buttons and screens.
Enter the age of invisible technology, hidden in homes and
everyday objects. Sonos has already tapped into this trend,
teaming up with audio brand Sonance on a collection of
‘Architectural’ speakers – discreet panels that can be cleverly
concealed in walls and ceilings. Amazon’s ‘Echo Wall Clock’
looks innocently analogue, but syncs with Alexa and doubles
as an LED timer, while architecture firm Foster + Partners has
joined forces with LG Signature on the world’s first rolling
‘OLED TVR’ screen, which emerges seamlessly from a fixed
base. Ikea, meanwhile, has camouflaged its ‘Symfonisk’ hybrid
speakers as a lamp and a floating bookshelf.
Panasonic’s approach is yet more striking. It has teamed up
with Swiss design brand Vitra to unveil the ‘Vitrine’ ( below;
panasonic.com/uk), a transparent OLED television concept
that resembles a pane of glass in a handcrafted wooden frame.
The result of two years of research, the screen transforms from
a clear display to a first-class TV at the flick of a switch, with all
of the electrical components and wires hidden within its thin
frame. It seems the omnipresent black rectangles that have
dominated homes for years are set to become a thing of the past.
With digital detoxes now on the rise, less invasive technology- artfully designed to fade away when we want some peace and
privacy – is a welcome addition to our lives, and living spaces.
THE TECHNOLOGY
DISCR E ET DEV ICE S
From transparent TVs to disguised speakers,
technology is being designed to disappear
WITH DIGITAL
DETOXES ON THE
RISE, LESS INVASIVE
TECHNOLOGY IS A
WELCOME ADDITION
TO OUR LIVES
TRENDS