PH 5 Classic

Design Story

PH 5 Classic and other Louis Poulsen lamps

Design

Irritated by constantly changing light bulb standards the Dane Poul Henningsen designed in 1958 for Louis Poulsen a lamp which is suitable for all types of bulbs - he only rejected the use of fluorescent tubes on account of their length. And since 1994 Poul Henningsen's PH 5 lamp has been suitable for energy saving bulbs, thus continuing Henningsen's claim to have designed a pendant light for all light sources. Characteristic of the PH 5 lamp is its charismatic design. For his lamp Henningsen employs a lampshade composed of individual segments connected by steel bracing and arranged in the form of a logarithmic spiral. The mathematical phenomenon of the spiral occurs frequently in nature and provides in context of the PH 5 lamp for uniform light distribution. A large part of the light is radiated downwards; however, by the upper, trumpet-shaped screen segment radiates light to the sides, resulting in a pleasant indirect ambient lighting. The design of Louis Poulsen PH 5 is essentially defined by a sophisticated interplay of light and shadow, texture and reflection; interplay which results in a diffuse, glare-free light.

Production

The shades of the PH 5 lamp are made of extruded aluminium and are wet painted by hand in matt white. The connecting, bracing, rods are made from rolled aluminium, which is coated purple in the same manner. For the 50th anniversary of the Louis Poulsen PH 5 lamp in 2008 a special edition known as the PH 50 was released in a range of different colours. In 2013 there followed a further re-edition of the classic PH 5 Lamp, the PH 5 Contemporary. In the production of the PH 5 lights, the Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen can call upon decades of experience, having started with the production of Poul Henningsen lamp designs in the 1920s.

Historical Context

Although formally dating to the 1920s and a lamp with a lampshade made of opal glass, Poul Henningsen realised his PH 5 in 1958 as a pendant lamp with aluminium shade segments, aluminium being as it was a convenient and pliable, finding increasing use in the post war years. Scandinavian designs of the 1950s and 60s is one of the most important movements of in the history of European design and is closely connected with the concept of functionalism. Amongst the main protagonists of the movement are Arne Jacobsen, Eero Saarinen and Alvar Aalto. In terms of Scandinavian lamp design Louis Poulsen is the most important producer having worked with all the leading designers on the "golden age". Poul Henningsen's PH 5 lamp can be regarded as a classic example of functionalist design in that each element of the elaborate construction contributes to the function and the result is an aesthetically pleasing light that is so much more than just a decorative object.

Manufacturer

Louis Poulsen can trace its history back to 1874 and the establishment of a wine import company in Copenhagen by one Ludvig R. Poulsen. Followed in 1892 by a second company selling tools and electrical goods. In 1896 Poulsen's nephew Louis Poulsen entered the company, taking over the reins following the death of Ludvig Poulsen and ultimately being responsible for the decision to transform the company to a lamp manufacturer. At the 1924 international exhibition of decorative arts in Paris, the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs & Industriels Modernes, Louis Poulsen was introduced to Poul Henningsen's lamp designs and so began the long, profitable cooperation between the designer and the manufacturer. The first PH lamp was designed by Henningsen in 1926, the PH 5 was followed in 1958. In addition to Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen have also cooperation with the likes of Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton and over the decades have increasingly made a name for itself in the commercial sector and specifically in the field of outdoor lighting.

Designer

Born on September 9th 1894 in Ordrup, Denmark as the illegitimate son of a writer and a satirist Poul Henningsen grew up in a relatively unconventional environment. Having developed an early interest in painting and architecture he began studying the latter - but never completed his studies, devoting himself instead to lamp design. As a designer he developed his first projects with Louis Poulsen in the 1920s and over the coming decades established an enviable portfolio of lamps, and a reputation as one of the most important Danish designers of his generation. Among the most successful Henningsen designs is without question the PH 5 lamp and the Artichoke lamp. A central component of Henningsen's design approach was the creation of lamps which offer glare-free, targeted light and which cast soft, warming shadows. Poul Henningsen died in 1967 in Hillerød, Denmark.