Stuer, Denmark
Kresten Bjørn Krab-Bjerre, Senior Director of Design at Bang & Olufsen and his in-house design team have unveiled the final two editions of its five-part Beolab 90 Atelier Anniversary Series: Beolab 90 Monarch Edition and the Beolab 90 Zenith Edition.
Following the previously released Titan, Shadow, and Mirage Editions, these new versions reinterpret the iconic flagship speaker with sculpted wood, polished aluminum, and carefully curated details.
Together, the five editions stand as a tribute to a century of beautiful sound.
Produced in a limited series of ten pairs per edition, each speaker is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and, when ordered, collectors receive a miniature aluminum Beolab 90 sculpture in the corresponding edition, presented in a custom aluminum delivery box—reinforcing its status as a true collector’s piece within Bang & Olufsen history.
“These new B&O designs,” states Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, architecture critic and CEO of The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, “are truly an extraordinary design phenomenon.”
“Are they high-styled kitsch or avant-garde and futuristically theatrical?”
“No matter; I vote the latter.”
“Nevertheless, Mr. Krab-Bjerre and his design team have pushed the envelope offering a fresh take on the Beolab 90 aesthetic through structured surfaces, tactile quality, and architectural design in order to create a series of atelier masterpieces,” explains Mr. Narkiewicz-Laine.
“Both new editions offer a fresh take on the Beolab 90 aesthetic through structured surfaces, tactile quality, and architectural design.”
The Monarch Edition celebrates Bang & Olufsen’s heritage in Danish craftsmanship, where the rhythm of the lamellas and the carefully placed wooden knots create a sense of movement around the speaker.
Each element is designed to guide the eye, transforming the Beolab 90 into an object that is as considered visually as it is acoustically.
The Beolab 90 Monarch Edition is a study in textural sophistication and Danish furniture design heritage. Angled rosewood lamellas and precisely finished aluminum elements transform the flagship speaker into a flowing, sculptural object.
Angled and curved rosewood lamellas follow the contours of the aluminum cabinet, creating a 360-degree rhythm that echoes classic fabric covers while introducing texture and tactility.
Six wooden knots connect the lamellas, with the front knot featuring a subtle light-through-wood stripe that adds dimension and visual interest.
A solid rosewood top ring frames the speaker, while lower base panels continue the lamella pattern, unifying top to bottom in a continuous sculptural gesture.
The contrast between the warm rosewood and ochre-colored aluminum crowns highlights the balance of natural and engineered materials, while semi-transparent fabric sections offer glimpses of the acoustic drivers behind, integrating the functional and aesthetic layers seamlessly.
The Zenith Edition, the most theatrical, plays with reflection and texture in a subtle, almost living way.
Its layered surfaces and interplay of polished and matte finishes capture light differently throughout the day, creating a dynamic visual presence that complements the acoustic mastery within, and elevates the Beolab 90 into an experience that engages multiple senses.
The Zenith Edition is a study in textural precision and sculptural elegance.
Drawing on Bang & Olufsen’s Atelier mastery, thousands of aluminum spheres and subtle mother-of-pearl inlays transform the flagship speaker into a luminous, tactile presence.
Six panels feature 289 anodized aluminum spheres each, arranged in seven bespoke pearl-inspired colors, creating a shimmering, reflective surface that interacts with light and the environment, while the machined aluminum facemask is pearl blasted and anodized in a dark grey to resemble an oyster shell.
A circular mother-of-pearl inlay, matching the diameter of the aluminum spheres, crowns the speaker, adding a luminous focal point that complements the overall composition.
The panels are curved to follow the contours of the cabinet, echoing the speaker’s architectural form and integrating texture with function.
Polished aluminum crowns and semi-transparent fabric balance the visual and acoustic layers, unifying the speaker’s expressive, tactile design.
“Both design examples,” continues Mr. Narkiewicz-Laine, “require high levels of engineering and craftsmanship and are perfectly aligned with B&O’S core values of thinking differently and constantly finding new ways to push boundaries.”
Kresten Bjørn Krab-Bjerre has this to say about the challenges of ultra-high-end hi-fi, and how the company’s industrial design is shaped and guided to facilitate these collaborations:
“We don’t work from technology. We always work from the idea that tells us how human experience always guides the development of new Bang & Olufsen products.”
“Definitely, our company has been guided for a century by our founder’s ethos from 1925: ‘a never failing will to create only the best and persistently to find new ways’,” Mr. Krab-Bjerre continues.
“The Atelier Editions gives this spirit form—driven by curiosity, embracing new materials, and a century of pushing boundaries with artistry.”
Beolab 90 Monarch Edition/Beolab 90 Zenith Edition start in price at €480,000.
Project: Beolab 90 Monarch Edition/Beolab 90 Zenith Edition
Designers: Bang & Olufsen A/S
Manufacturer: Bang & Olufsen A/S
