Arne Jacobsen Lamps

The design pioneer Arne Jacobsen designed his lighting collection as part of the overall concept for the Royal SAS Hotel in Copenhagen.

Architect, Designer, Legend

Born in 1902, Arne Jacobsen initially completed an apprenticeship as a stonemason before studying architecture. In 1927 he graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Copenhagen and subsequently worked in the office of the Copenhagen City Architect, until he opened his own architectural firm in 1929. Buildings designed by Jacobsen can be found in Denmark, Germany, and the United Kingdom, whereby one of his most famous projects is undoubtedly the Royal SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. Completed in 1960, Jacobsen created with the SAS Royal a true Gesamtkunstwerk - from the building to the door handles over seating furniture to the cutlery of what is arguably the world's first design hotel.

Whether the simple AJ floor lamp or his classic chair, the Swan, Arne Jacobsen's designs are timelessly modern

Jacobsen Creates Danish design history

Arne Jacobsen is Danish design, Danish design is Arne Jacobsen: for eleven years Jacobsen was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Art and influenced a whole generation of Danish architects. For his work, he was honoured with countless prestigious awards in Denmark and beyond. In addition to his building designs, Jacobsen has produced numerous absolute design classics, such as his Swan and Egg chairs, which are indispensable in 20th century design history and as popular now as then.

In its simplicity, the AJ floor lamp blends seamlessly into any room.

5 new colours for 5 decades of illumination perfection

This same applies to his so-called AJ lights. Originally designed for the Copenhagen SAS Royal they are - typical Jacobsen - still as modern as in 1960. Today, the Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen produces and distributes the Arne Jacobsen floor lamps, pendant lamps and table lamps. In 2010, the Jacobsen lamp celebrated its 50th birthday and for the occasion was released in five new colours, five pale pastel shades named after the numbers of the hotel rooms in which they were to be seen during the anniversary. At the special exhibition at the Radisson Blu Royal in Copenhagen, elegant suites were selected on the 18th floor of the design hotel, whose color scheme harmonized particularly well with the new lamps colours and where they could thus be optimally admired: 1805, 1806, 1808, 1809 and 1810

For the 50th anniversary of the AJ lamps, five new design colours were added to the range

Geometric shapes in perfect proportion

The design of the slender AJ lamp is characterized by the elongated, cylindrical stalk and the asymmetrical shape of the tiltable shade. The weightless character of the Louis Poulsen AJ floor lamp is emphasized by the elegant opening of the lamp base. Here, the shape of the canopy is skilfully taken up and the design bequeathed a filigree and almost transparent touch. The white painted inside of the lampshade ensures a pleasant, diffuse light emission. The AJ table lamp was also a design for the SAS Royal Hotel and is currently enjoying great popularity as a table lamp. The Louis Poulsens AJ collection today includes both classic and contemporary colours that have been carefully selected to match the already existing colour scheme of Arne Jacobsen.

The AJ Table Lamp from Louis Poulsen in brught red

Flexible light design for versatile use

The AJ table lamp is based on the same principles as the AJ floor lamp, however for better use as a work lamp, the screen has been enlarged. The angles of the conical metal screen are designed to correspond to the angle of the lamp holder: at least in theory, in reality the angle was slightly adjusted as an optical correction. When the AJ table lamp is tilted down, the edge of the lamp holder is horizontal. The inside of the shade is matt white enamelled. It is recommended to use a clear incandescent bulb, as this realises an optimal illumination with clearly defined light beams. The AJ wall sconces follow the principle of the series and are one of the great design classics of the 20th century and thus perfectly complement the extremely versatile AJ series.

The AJ wall lamp is also part of Arne Jacobsen's legendary lighting series.

High-quality production in Danish design tradition

As with the famous PH lamps by designer colleague Poul Henningsen, the AJ lamps are produced in the company owned factories of Louis Poulsen and in close cooperation with suppliers. Strict controls on every stage of production and the use of the highest quality materials ensure the high quality and longevity of Arne Jacobsen lamps. The lampshades and stand are made of steel, while the foot is made in a die-cast zinc process.

Hard to believe that the modern-looking AJ light is already over 50 years old ...

Unity of form, function, and environment

With his lamp designs Arne Jacobsen once again demonstrated his love for geometric, reduced and harmonious forms: lines, circles, angles and cylinders harmonise perfectly in their proportions and make the design so timelessly beautiful. His motto, according to which an object should never attract attention or collide with the experiences of the beholder, remains true here. Whether with his AJ lamps, designer chairs or buildings - he always worked with the intention that no object should be in the foreground, but by its simplicity should fit perfectly into any environment and thus form a unity with it. This credo continues to influence Scandinavian Design with great success.