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Logan Circle welcomes Bang & Olufsen store

By Jeff Canning, THE WASHINGTON TIMES | Monday, October 20, 2008

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Bang & Olufsen will open a 1,400-square-foot showroom on 14th Street in Logan Circle this week, where it will showcase a 50-inch, $21,500 plasma TV that takes pictures of itself to sharpen its image. The Danish purveyor of ultra-high-end electronics is a welcome addition to the gentrifying Logan neighborhood, which has been working to improve the way it is viewed and struggling to get back on its feet since the riots of 1968.

Bang & Olufsen's first boutique in downtown Washington joins existing stores in Bethesda and McLean.

"The character of the neighborhood in Logan Circle has distinguished itself as the loft-style condominium area, which I feel is very compatible with the Bang & Olufsen aesthetic," said Martin Chin, owner of the Logan Circle store. "We want to try to build a design destination on 14th Street."

The "design destination" is a vast contrast to the 14th Street of the past that included race riots in the wake of the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King.

D.C. Council member Jack Evans, Ward 2 Democrat, is pleased to see the recent turnaround in his neighborhood.

"The overall thing that has worked was to create an environment where people feel safe and where businesses feel they can make money," Mr. Evans said. "I think it's a very good thing for our city, and it's now bringing people back after the riots drove them away."

B&O aims its product lineup at households that earn more than $200,000 a year. Zean Nielsen, president of Bang & Olufsen America Inc., said that buying a B&O product is more than just about the product itself.

"This is a lifestyle decision, whether or not you want to surround yourself with beautiful design furniture and Bang & Olufsen equipment," Mr. Nielsen said.

In addition to automatic color management, B&O's new plasma television line includes an ambient light sensor that detects how bright the room is and adjusts the brightness of the screen accordingly, to reduce strain on eyes.

"It's all about adjusting the technology for the customer and not the other way around," said Monica Gartner, a spokeswoman for B&O. "We want to make an impression that lasts."