Una Corda Piano 原聲鋼琴 by Davids Klavins is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 銀獎 in 樂器設計 Competition Category.

銀樂器· 2021

Una Corda Piano 原聲鋼琴

by Davids Klavins

Client: Nils Frahm

A' Design Award 銀獎 Winner in 樂器 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #122682

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Una Corda Piano 原聲鋼琴

Una Corda係一部冇琴身外殼嘅原聲鋼琴。開放式設計令聲音可以自由傳到聽眾嘅耳邊。呢件樂器每個音只用一條弦線，配以不鏽鋼琴架同雙層音板。不鏽鋼琴架令鋼琴保持輕巧，有別於傳統鋼琴所用嘅鑄鐵琴架。造出嚟嘅音色柔和而清晰。Una Corda嘅彈奏方式同傳統鋼琴一樣，而外露嘅機械部件展示咗每個音係點樣產生出嚟。呢部鋼琴以手工製作，全程冇使用任何化學物質。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銀獎

Una Corda Piano 原聲鋼琴是 A' Design Award 銀獎得主，這是授予頂級、華美而令人印象深刻的設計的極為崇高的認可。銀獎得主是極其卓越、極具創造力的作品，展現出其設計師傑出的專業技能、才華與敏銳。預計Una Corda Piano 原聲鋼琴將成為一件出色的典範之作，兼具非凡的專業性與深刻的創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銀獎的設計是一項備受矚目、令人欽佩的發明，造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。Una Corda Piano 原聲鋼琴是一件令人羨慕的創作，它喚起渴望，帶來積極的情感，並激發驚嘆與讚嘆。

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