1965 VW Microbus Entertainment Center Cabinet
About The Project
The entertainment center was my first foray into the functional sculpture world. It would be hard to argue that mid 1960’s VW Microbuses are not iconic sculptures, both from a design and social counterculture perspective.
I built the entertainment center in the early 1990’s for my family’s use. This was long before flat screen TVs were invented. The standard practice of the day was to hide large CRT TVs inside entertainment center cabinets. My wife and I didn’t want a standard boring boxy entertainment center, so we put our creativity in motion. Our design inspiration came while having dinner at the Minneapolis Seward Cafe. The hippy-retro vibe and clientele of the Seward got us thinking about VW’s and all things granola heads. This entertainment center was the end result. I first though of making the entertainment center in the form of a VW bug, but the microbus was just as whimsical and provided a better geometry.
The entertainment center is roughly 85% scale from the real Microbus. It is made entirely from mahogany with the exception of the rubber tires, glass windows and headlights. The entertainment center opens by pushing down on the front bumper. At the bottom of the down stroke, rods push the doors open. Pushing the doors shut and lifting the bumper causes the back of the bumper to hold the doors shut.
Classic automotive design as furniture. Groovy family cutouts of my family dressed as hippies are displayed behind the windshield. We’re probably the only ones with a family portrait like this. Building this was one of the most enjoyable projects I have done. I also have the pleasure of seeing it every day.
