The RT 20 tabletop radio was designed by Dieter Rams for Braun in 1961. The Centre Pompidou records an example measuring 18 by 50.5 by 25 centimetres and identifies ABS among its materials. Unlike the smaller pocket radios in the archive, this broad horizontal object is arranged to be read and operated from a fixed position in a room.
A large circular group of horizontal slots marks the speaker at the left. At the right, a narrow vertical tuning scale and small pale controls form a separate working area. The surrounding wooden case provides a visible contrast to the dark front. These elements are distinct without becoming competing decorations: the speaker, scale, and controls each have a clear location.
The RT 20 belongs beside the Braun SK 4 and T3 as another application of a consistent visual language. Circular and rectangular forms are used to explain function, while the number and position of controls respond to the particular appliance. The differences between the three objects are as revealing as their shared restraint.
Braun SK 4 radio-phonograph
