The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock

How many door locks can claim they were designed by an architectural firm, let alone the one behind Google’s new headquarters and also Hyperloop One? That’s the design pedigree delivered with the Friday Lock, “the world’s smallest retrofit lock”, the design work of the Danish architects of Bjarke Ingels Group.

Smart door locks come in two flavors: complete replacement and retrofit. The Friday Lock goes the way of retrofit, installed using a Universal Baseplate mount that allows the Friday Lock to fit right over most previous lock’s footprint, eliminating the expertise (and costs) of hiring a locksmith for installation. Just as importantly, subjectively speaking, we consider the Friday Lock is the most attractive retrofit smart door lock design available.

Despite being designed by BIG, the acronym representing Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group, the resulting work produced is refreshingly small – a 2.7″ diameter footprint with an elegantly tapered and ribbed turn handle that whispers where most smart lock systems scream their tech bona fides.

With Friday Lock, we focused on creating a smart and simple design that doesn’t shout, “I’m a very intelligent object on your door” with flashing lights and other tech gimmicks. Instead we optimized the most important features, kept the design simple with a nod to the classic door knob and most importantly, designed it to be as small as possible. – Jakob Lange, Partner BIG, and Director of BIG Ideas

Friday Lock’s changeable shell comes in seven classic finishes including copper, bronze, gun metal, brass, silver, nickel satin and porcelain (brass shown up top).

An easy to install Universal Baseplate system allows easy installation, while a rechargeable lithium battery will operate for about 3 months before requiring a recharge using a supplied USB charger.

The Friday Lock supports Apple Homekit and Siri-control out of the box, alongside app notification and controls. Geofencing/GPS location technology also automatically opens or locks the unit in accordance to user proximity, with guest services provided with a Remote Key feature, permitting users to grant other visitors limited or indefinite access as needed.

The Friday Lock is available for pre-order in the US, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway for $249.00, with availability at stores and online retailers later this month.