Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper designed the Brionvega TS502 radiocubo in 1964. Brionvega’s historical account emphasizes the two joined plastic volumes and their ability to open into a working radio. When shut, the rounded casing presents a compact, largely uninterrupted object; opening it reveals a more detailed interior devoted to sound and control.
The two halves have different tasks. One contains the speaker, while the other brings together tuning and operating controls. In the museum photograph, orange outer surfaces contrast with the dark interior. The hinge is central to the design: it changes both the shape of the object and the relationship between its visible surfaces.
The TS502 offers a different approach to portable listening from Braun’s pale, flat-faced radios. Its color and movement are integral to the experience of using it. Placed alongside the Algol television, it also demonstrates how the same design partnership developed distinctive cases for separate kinds of domestic electronics without simply repeating one outline.
Braun T3 pocket radio
