Quick Facts: Instrument: Ravenchord. Designer: Whipsaw (industrial design firm). Claim: First fundamental redesign of the grand piano in over 300 years. Shape: Asymmetric wing form, inspired by a bird in flight. Key feature: Exposed internal workings allow sound to project directly rather than being enclosed in a traditional cabinet. Status: Concept/prototype.
The grand piano has looked roughly the same since the 1700s. That’s not a failure of imagination. It’s more that the design worked, and nobody had a compelling enough reason to change it. Whipsaw had one: what if you could make it both more beautiful and more acoustically direct at the same time?
What the Ravenchord Actually Is
The Ravenchord abandons the closed cabinet of the traditional grand piano entirely. The internal mechanics are exposed, the frame opens outward into a dramatic wing-like form, and the sound is projected directly rather than being contained and shaped by a wooden body. The visual result is striking. It looks less like a piece of furniture and more like a piece of sculpture that happens to produce music.
The Design Logic
Whipsaw’s redesign isn’t purely aesthetic. The exposed string and hammer arrangement changes the acoustic relationship between player and instrument. The asymmetric wing form draws the eye along the lines of the strings themselves, making visible the engineering that traditional piano design usually hides. It’s a piece that rewards both looking and listening.
Does It Need to Exist?
The classic grand piano is a masterpiece. Nobody is arguing otherwise. But there’s something genuinely interesting about a designer asking whether form and function could be pushed further, even for an instrument that has been refined over centuries. The Ravenchord doesn’t replace the grand piano. It asks a different question about what a piano could be. That question alone is worth asking.
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14 Comments
This is styled, finished, working concept, not a buyable product at this point. But yes, we imagine it’d be a lot of money!
Cost? Nowhere is it mentioned. That Can only mean one thing. Expensive.
Nice looking piece of art. But is it truly functional? Sometimes the original design got it right. Been playing for decades and I challenge the disengaged argument. A true grand allows interaction between player and audience. I know because I have performed with no trouble engaging the audience.
Not enough room for feet maybe…
Where can we go to see and hear this elegant piano?
I’m curious as to how it sounds.
One tiny detail overlooked by the article is whether or not the sound is any good. Because as Matthew notes above, (and I’m guessing that the steel strings may be obscured by the wound ones due to the mysterious “spiral” frame design,) the bridges appear to be central on the soundboard.
How can there be dynamics with solenoid activated hammers?
Passing on this idea to ones whom may consider acquiring one of these. Radical redesign takes an unexpected turn. Without such risks we are but redundant in our choices.
We appreciate your insight! We sure hope the designers made it as functional as it is beautiful.
As a piano technician, I don’t understand how the action would work on this design. Also, are all those strings wound? and why is the bridge in the center of the soundboard?
don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice design, but I don’t think it’s functional.
Agreed!
Exquisite work of artistry that elegantly elevates the visual and listening experience.
Are they available for purchase?
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