A concept too beautiful to ignore: the BeoLens Horizon reimagines home cinema design

A striking projector concept by a young French designer raises an uncomfortable question for the industry: why doesn’t high-end home cinema look this good already?

Most concept designs come and go without consequence—visual exercises meant to spark conversation rather than shape real products. But the BeoLens Horizon, imagined by Baptiste Baumeister, feels different. It doesn’t just look good—it feels inevitable, like something Bang & Olufsen should already have in production.

A natural extension of B&O’s design DNA

To understand why this concept hits so hard, you need to understand Bang & Olufsen.

For nearly a century, the brand has blurred the line between consumer electronics and interior design, creating products that are as much about presence as performance. From the modular artistry of the BeoSound Shape to the theatrical mechanics of the BeoVision Harmony and the architectural soundbar presence of the Beosound Theatre, B&O has always treated the living room as a curated space—not just a place to drop a screen.

Baumeister clearly understands that philosophy—and with BeoLens Horizon, he pushes it into territory that feels surprisingly fresh.

Two forms, one philosophy

The concept comes in two distinct configurations:

• A horizontal unit, low-slung and refined, sitting somewhere between a high-end soundbar and a Scandinavian jewelry box

• A vertical cylindrical version, reading more like a sculptural speaker or a design object than a piece of AV hardware

Both share a carefully curated material palette: light ash wood, brushed gold-toned aluminum, and warm grey acoustic fabric. It’s less “home cinema gear” and more architectural object—something you’d expect to see in a minimalist holiday home rather than a tech showroom.

The art of hiding technology

The horizontal model is where things get especially interesting.

Instead of showcasing the projector lens like a badge of honor—as most brands do—the BeoLens Horizon hides it beneath a wooden slatted panel. When activated, the lens subtly reveals itself, almost like a mechanical gesture rather than a technical function.

It’s a quiet flex.

There are no aggressive cooling vents, no glossy black plastics, no overdesigned “cinematic” cues. Even the 4K capability is understated, integrated into the design rather than shouted from it.

In a category where most projectors try to look powerful and end up looking bulky or industrial, this kind of restraint feels almost rebellious.

Interaction, simplified to the point of magic

Controls are another standout detail.

Instead of touchscreens or cluttered button arrays, Baumeister embeds minimal icon-based controls directly into the wood surface—barely visible until you know where to look. A power symbol, directional arrows, a Bluetooth mark.

It’s a very Bang & Olufsen approach: interaction that feels intuitive, tactile, and slightly magical, rather than technical.

More than just a pretty render

What elevates this concept beyond typical design fluff is the process behind it.

Baumeister didn’t stop at digital renders—he developed physical study models, exploring proportions, materials, and form in real space. Exploded views reveal a thoughtful internal layout, with the speaker array layered between structural elements and the projection system integrated into a central core.

Even as a concept, it feels engineered, not imagined.

A critique of the current home cinema market

Here’s the uncomfortable truth this concept exposes:

The TV and projector market has been playing it safe for years. Bigger screens, thinner bezels, higher brightness—but very little evolution in how these products live in our spaces.

The BeoLens Horizon asks a better question:

What if your home cinema device was something you actually wanted to look at—even when it’s off?

It’s not a new idea for Bang & Olufsen, but applying it to a projector—especially as ultra-short-throw technology matures—feels like a missed opportunity across the entire industry.

Final thoughts

Whether BeoLens Horizon ever becomes a real product is almost beside the point.

What matters is what it represents: a shift away from gadgets as black boxes and toward technology as living objects—pieces that contribute to a space rather than disrupt it.

If anything, this concept feels less like a “what if” and more like a challenge—not just to Bang & Olufsen, but to the entire home cinema industry.

Because once you’ve seen something like this, it’s hard to go back to plastic boxes pretending to be invisible.