Idea becomes reality
After a concert with his world-star friends Daniel Barenboim and Martha Argerich, Rafael Viñoly asked them what they would think of a grand piano with an ergonomic keyboard. Their enthusiastic response inspired him to approach Chris Maene to ask if he would be willing to realise such a design. In an e-mail with some sketches, he concluded by saying 'If you think this is crazy, I can go back drawing buildings in a minute.'
Chris Maene thought it was a brilliant idea and accepted the challenge. The concrete design was first drawn out and a model was made out of cardboard. Rafael then further drew his ideas on this in the studio in Ruiselede.
The ergonomic keyboard was the basis of the design. The rest of the grand piano was developed from that curve. This created an organic design, a logical consequence of the initial curve.
Nice details are the hand-polished legs and the strikingly stylised pedal piece. The soundboard, 20% larger than on a standard grand piano, the ornate frame and the instrument's rounded case create a special appearance but also an exceptionally powerful and colourful sound.
