Marek Kounovský designs Eski.Sub glass speaker
The Eski.Sub is a glass loudspeaker by Marek Kounovský – MK Designers that draws inspiration from the visual language of Brutalist architecture and the cultural atmosphere of London’s UK grime music scene. The project examines the relationship between sound, urban context, and emotional listening experiences, positioning the loudspeaker as both an audio device and a spatial object.
The design references the material expression and structural clarity associated with Brutalist architecture. Through its glass construction, the speaker emphasizes transparency and physical presence, allowing the internal components to remain visually accessible while forming a compact sculptural object. The form reflects the project’s conceptual link to the raw character of metropolitan environments and the cultural setting in which grime music emerged.
Rather than prioritizing maximum sound accuracy, the project investigates how listeners emotionally engage with recorded music. In this context, the loudspeaker functions as a medium that translates musical compositions, formed through the interaction of analog and synthetic instruments, into a tangible listening experience.
all images courtesy of Marek Kounovský – MK Designers
Eski.Sub explores how design shapes the experience of music
Music within the project is understood as a layered system in which different sonic elements interact dynamically. The loudspeaker materializes this interaction, acting as an intermediary between musical composition and the listener. While the device reproduces sound, it also acknowledges the inherent limitation of audio technology: recorded playback can approximate but not fully replicate the immediacy of live performance.
The project by MK Designers Studio, led by Marek Kounovský, is accompanied by a video that documents a range of everyday situations in which music shapes emotional states. These scenes position the loudspeaker within lived environments, illustrating how sound becomes integrated into personal and urban contexts. Through the Eski.Sub, Kounovský explores the loudspeaker not only as an acoustic tool but also as a design object that reflects cultural influences, material experimentation, and the experiential dimensions of listening.
the speaker references Brutalist architectural forms
transparent glass construction exposes internal components
the loudspeaker functions as both audio device and design object
the speaker form echoes the massing of Brutalist architecture
the project draws inspiration from London’s UK grime scene
internal elements remain visible through the transparent enclosure
glass panels define the speaker’s geometric enclosure
the speaker acts as a medium translating musical composition
the transparent housing highlights the speaker’s internal structure
project info:
name: Eski.Sub
designer: Marek Kounovský – MK Designers | @marek.kounovsky
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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