LG Electronics, Inc
Interview with Hyoungwon Kim

Red Dot: With its modular furniture design and transparent screen, the LG Transparent OLED TV-77T4 becomes part of the interior. Is this the beginning of a new understanding of design – less device, more environment?

We don’t believe that “less devices and more environment” is a new philosophy or trend – but rather a human instinct. Furniture was historically created to organise objects and tools in order to create more comfortable interiors. Televisions, on the other hand, are increasingly turning into black monsters that barely fit into the living room. We tried out various TV designs to make the large black screen disappear visually. It was clear to us from the outset that this product should not be a cold-sensitivity high-tech device, but a transparent home screen that can disappear and reappear as required and blends naturally into the room we live in. The focus was therefore less on the technology itself and more on the question of how the product can be placed in everyday life, customised and adapted to different lifestyles.

This product not only changes the appearance of a television, but also its behaviour in the room. How is it possible to break viewing habits – without overtaxing the user?

Before we even developed the shape, we focused on the experience: What actually distinguishes a transparent display from a conventional black screen? In terms of design, we wanted to emphasise precisely this difference – for example, the experience of seeing an object floating freely in space like in a hologram. This gave rise to the idea of a “floating glass screen” that translates the technical transparency into a clear visual essence – and integrates naturally into the room.