Pento

Abstract: The rich cultural heritage of China is becoming less relevant and forgotten as a result of rapid urbanization and modern lifestyles. This project aims to preserve the Chinese music heritage by designing an instrument based on the Chinese zither guzheng. Despite the rising interest of traditional instruments, there are factors that are holding people back from practicing them. There have been attempts of modernization but with very small alterations and a high focus on electrification. However, these qualities do not only misalign with the contemporary lifestyles in term of functionality and aesthetics, but also take away the genuineness when incorporating unsustainable materials. We challenged the idea of taking an iconic instrument and changing it to fit contemporary lifestyles and aesthetics. One of the main focuses was also to design for a worldwide market, with the ambition of breaking cultural barriers. Pento is a 15-stringed zither designed to harmonize with modern society. In contrast to the traditional instruments, it is small and portable enough to sit in a small living space or to be carried around in a busy city. With new technologies as CNC-milling and 3D-printing, the old-established production process is redesigned to be more efficient and sustainable. The production is also developed to be applicable in any geographical location, using the local hardwood as the body of the instrument.