The Braun SK 4 radio-phonograph was designed by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot in 1956. Combining a radio and record player in a compact enclosure, it gave domestic audio equipment a clear, industrial appearance. Painted metal, wood, and transparent plastic each have a distinct role in its construction.
The white metal body is framed by wooden sides. A clear lid reveals the turntable, while the controls sit on top beside it. This arrangement makes the operation of the machine part of its appearance, rather than concealing the equipment inside a conventional furniture cabinet.
The Design Museum records that an early metal lid vibrated during testing and was replaced by transparent plastic at Rams’s suggestion. The resulting profile earned the design the nickname Snow White’s Coffin. Its openness became a recognizable feature of later record players.
The SK 4 offers a useful comparison with the archive’s modern furniture: both use simple forms and a visible relationship between materials and function. MoMA holds a radio-phonograph identified as model SK 4/10, dated 1956.
Braun T3 pocket radio
