Come Rain or Shine – Exterior Television Cabinet
When a client requested a television cabinet for a roof terrace, the brief raised several questions that initially had no clear answers. The main one being, how would such a cabinet be able to withstand extreme changes in temperature, dazzling sunshine, heavy rainstorms, whipping winds and possibly even thunder and lightning?
This bespoke waterproof television cabinet, designed in collaboration with Ingrao, can be effortlessly raised from within its stone casing (and lowered again) at the touch of a remote control, and in a thoughtful twist, the television doesn’t just rise and retract, it also rotates. This means it can be adjusted for the perfect viewing angle, even as the sun moves across the sky.
The waterproof television can be effortlessly raised up from inside the cabinet (and lowered back down again) using a remote control.
After researching this seemingly impossible cabinet conundrum, they came up with a solution that involved the use of just two materials: stainless steel and viscount white granite stone. Another key element of the design was to develop a protective but aesthetic ‘shell’ to disguise what is essentially a large box housing a waterproof exterior television that can be raised up and lowered back down again after use.
Initial design sketches showing the top, front and side views of the outdoor television cabinet.
Despite appearances, the cabinet is made from a single slab of stone that has been cut and carefully joined with mitre joints to ensure the veining pattern of the stone matches perfectly.
The cabinet’s mass is imperceptibly broken up by its clever design. It consists of three horizontal sections, which gradually reduce in size towards the base of the cabinet. Similarly, the horizontal ‘shiplap’ construction of the stone is tapered towards the base, helping to further break up the mass and create a simple but beautiful sculptural silhouette.
Shiplap is a type of wooden board that is usually associated with wooden outbuildings (e.g. barns and sheds) that need to withstand cold and aggressive climates, without extensive maintenance. So this ingenious design also ensures that when it rains, the water runs down the sides of each shiplap section and then drips off – and importantly doesn’t get inside the cabinet.
Sometimes when you think outside the box, the best ideas come to mind!
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign-up to receive our newsletter and discover our stories, collections and latest innovations.
