Dezeen Magazine

Yves Behar debuts cube-shaped set-top box for Canal+

Yves Behar's San Francisco studio Fuseproject has redesigned the set-top box, creating a matt black cube for French TV network Canal+ (+ movie).

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

Fuseproject's Le Cube S is a minimal take on the common household device that turns television signals into content that can be displayed on a screen.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

Instead of a standard rectangular case, the studio designed a cube that has limited buttons and incorporates a screen into one of its faces.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

Its four controls are located in the centre of textured quadrants on the top of the box.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

Disguised on one of the sides, the full-colour 320- by 240-pixel screen can show channel logos and notifications rather than just numbers when the device is powered on.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

"In order to maximise aesthetic discretion and fit in the home, we kept the cube a matt black, and made the display invisibly integrated into its surface," said the studio led by Swiss designer Behar, which launched a curved TV mounted on a cube-shaped pedestal earlier this year.

"Its surface hides discreetly behind the matt black colouring of the device itself, seamlessly disappearing when not in use."

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

The company has worked with Canal+ for eight years, creating a range of set-top boxes including the Le Cube device. The new Le Cube S design is the smallest iteration in the series to date, measuring eight centimetres cubed so it can be held in one hand.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

"As technology advances, we are able to consistently bring new innovations to the set-top box, re-imagining its form while still maintaining existing brand equity," said Fuseproject, which was acquired by a Chinese brand management conglomerate last year.


Related content: see more from Yves Behar


The black cube sits on a white stand containing the hard drive, allowing the top part of the device to be kept as small as possible.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+

The company's white "plus" logo is positioned in the top right corner of the front face.

Le Cube S by Yves Behar and Fuseproject for Canal+
Sketches showing the design development of Le Cube S

Behar, who founded Fuseproject in 1999, launched a connected thermostat for UK energy supplier British Gas aimed at ordinary consumers rather than technology lovers last month.

His other recent projects include a collection of office furniture for Herman Miller and a DNA testing machine.