Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu by Davids Klavins

Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu by Davids Klavins is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha in Nhazi Ngwá Egwu Competition Category.

ỌlaọchaNgwá Egwu· 2021

Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu

by Davids Klavins

Client: Nils Frahm

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha Winner in Ngwá Egwu Category

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The Design

About Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu

Una Corda bụ piano egwu e wuru na-enweghị igbe arịa ngwa ụlọ. Nhazi mepere emepe ahụ na-enye ka ụda gafee n'enweghị mgbochi ruo n'ihu onye na-ege ntị. Ngwa a nwere otu eriri n'ọtụtụ olu ọ bụla, osisi ígwè na-adịghị echa echa, na bọọdụ ụda okpukpu abụọ. Osisi ígwè na-adịghị echa echa na-eme ka piano dị fọrọ, n'adịghị ka osisi ígwè a wụrụ awụ nke a na-eji na piano ọdịnala. Ụda si na ya pụta dị nro ma dị ọcha. A na-akpọ Una Corda dịka piano ọdịnala, akụkụ ígwè ndị a na-ahụ anya na-egosi otu esi emepụta olu ọ bụla. E ji aka mepụta piano ahụ, ọ dịghịkwa kemịkalụ ọ bụla e ji mee ya.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha

Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu meriri A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị dị n'ọkwa kachasị elu, mara mma ma na-eju anya. Ndị meriri na Ọlaọcha bụ ọrụ na-egbu maramara nke ukwuu ma dị oke nzụlite nke na-egosi ọmarịcha ihe ọmụma, talent na nghọta nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu ga-abụ ọrụ dị ịtụnanya, ihe nlereanya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị omimi n'ihe ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha bụ ihe e mepụtara dị oke ịrịba ama, nke a na-eto nke na-erite uru ma na-ebuga oke nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ n'ihu. Una Corda Piano Piano Egwu bụ ihe e kere eke ọtụtụ ndị na-ekwo ekworo ya nke na-akpali ọchịchọ, na-eweta mmetụta ọma ma na-akpali ịtụnanya.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Una Corda piano represents an open design, without a furniture "box", which serves for its sound to freely travel. It has only one string per tone, a stainless steel frame, and a double-layer soundboard, these features setting it aside from any traditional acoustic piano.
Dimensions & Packaging: 1330 mm x 670 mm x 1170 mm
Tags: Una Corda, Una Corda Piano, Klavins, Klavins Piano, Piano Innovation
Production Technology: The Una Corda design is strictly defined by the acoustic and technical properties of the piano, utilizing materials that serve best for each particular function. Stainless steel for the static frame serves for the lightness of the design, versus the heavy designs of traditional pianos, which all are equipped with cast iron frames. The Una Corda is completely hand-crafted, utilizing industry manufactured parts only for the action. The Una Corda is essentially a "green"product, no chemicals used.
Design Challenge: A major challenge was to define the most suitable material for the main frame of the Una Corda. All traditional pianos utilize a cast-iron frame, which was prohibitive for the Una Corda, for reasons of weight and cost. After thorough research of alternative materials like steel and aluminum, stainless steel showed most suitable, to pick up the string tension that sums up to 49 kN. Historically there has never existed an open-design acoustic piano, but in light of the rather open-minded public of the 21st century it seems appropriate to offer an innovative product design.
Research: Materials and design research, the objective being to design a piano that reflects the 21st century feel. Investigating existing piano designs by Internet search and based on years of experience with traditional piano design, as well as meticulous analysis of all factors pertinent to piano sound. Building a first prototype, evaluating its weaknesses and applying needed improvements. The final result constitutes a disruptive, strictly functional piano design, aiming to appeal to a public open for innovation on a field of generally rather conservative attitudes.
Inspiration: Frequently clients were asking for a softer sounding piano, compared to the traditional acoustic pianos. In the course of researching piano acoustics, I decided to strip the piano from any and all unnecessary features, invent a new, softer soundboard, and to build a piano by the strict principle of "form follows function" - the one-string-per-note Una Corda piano.
Project Duration: The project was started in February 2014 in Balingen, Germany, and basically finished by May 2015 in Germany, though it was finally completed in every detail only in December 2020 in Kuldiga, Latvia.
Operation Flow: The Una Corda technically is played like traditional pianos, though based on its open design the player can follow the mechanical process of each note pressed. The sound character differs from any other existing piano by means of softness and clarity of tone, because of the one-string-per-note principle, the specific soundboard design, and the specific hammer felt. The action is modified to play faster than typical upright piano actions allow for.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Davids Klavins, 2021
Image Credits: David Klavins
Video Credits: Native Instruments, Berlin