Poul Henningsen

THE LEGENDARY LUMINAIRE IDEAS OF DESIGNER POUL HENNINGSEN

The PH5, shown here in pastel, is constantly being relaunched

► About Poul Henningsen

► The idea of ​​glare-free light

► PH special editions in the course of time

► The PH Artichoke

► Production of PH lamps

The idea of glare-free light

It is 60 years since one of the most famous and popular Scandinavian lights was born. The designer Poul Henningsen completed one of his most legendary lamps in 1958, the innovative PH 5 pendant lamp. For generations, the PH 5 has been providing glare-free illumination to countless households. And that far beyond Henningsen's native Denmark. Poul Henningsen's idea was as simple as it was innovative: he wanted to create an electric light with 100 % glare-free light. Since the 1920s, the designer has developed his own lighting philosophy and a series of lamps, some of which are still known worldwide. One of his first models was created in 1924 in collaboration with the manufacturer Louis Poulsen for the World's Fair in Paris. He thus revolutionized previously understandings of lighting and since then designed lamps in which he used the screen to shield the light and direct it exactly where it was actually needed - and without blinding unnecessarily.

The PH 5 Classic luminaire in white provides harmonious, glare-free light

PH special editions in the course of time

Over the decades, lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen has been constantly launching new, contemporary colours and special editions of the PH lamps, constantly adding new versions with a contemporary touch to the innovative design, yet always in the spirit of Henningsen's design philosophy. There have been, for example, limited copper and amber versions of the PH 3.5-3, which dates back to 1929, or the so-called Contemporary Editions of the PH 5, in which Louis Poulsen brought a contemporary colour scheme to the design classic. In 2017, seven new harmonic shades and the slightly smaller PH 5 Mini were introduced to the market, further expanding the wide range of PH lamps. For the 60th anniversary of Louis Poulsen's classic, the PH 5 and the PH 5 Mini were released in a particularly noble copper version a version that guaranteed to make the hearts of lovers of Poul Henningsen designs beat faster.

Breathtakingly unique: The PH Artichoke

Poul Henningsen's 1958 PH Artichoke revolutionised light design

Another legendary, slightly more pompous PH lamp is Poul Henningsen's PH Artichoke, also known as the Pine Cone. Whether the lamp is more reminiscent of an artichoke or a pine cone is up to each viewer, but one thing is clear: the extravagant lamp is an eye-catcher, whether in domestic spaces or contract projects. With the distinct multi-layered shade of his PH Artichoke designer Poul Henningsen once again reached a new level of lighting architecture. The multi-unit lampshade of the Louis Poulsen lamp, as with the PH 5, creates 100 % glare-free light - but in a somewhat more complex way. The copper or stainless steel blades of the classic lamp are arranged in even rows, thus ensuring not only symmetrical, diffused-warm light but make the PH Artichoke an extraordinary, sculptural design object that conjures up a touch of luxury in every room.

Also called Pine Cone, the PH Artichoke by Louis Poulsen remains as impressive in the contemporary home as it always has

Production of PH lamps

The blanks of the PH 5 shade segments are made of drawn aluminium and then finely honed and powder coated with great care. The outer sides of the PH 5 lamps are then painted by hand, while the screens of the PH Snowball are wet-painted in white. The no less than 72 leaves of the artichoke, in contrast, consist of stamped copper, laser-cut stainless steel or wet-painted steel, depending on the model. A selection of high-quality and durable materials, the dedicated manual work of long-term trained experts and the strictest control of each production step ensure the outstanding quality and durability of all PH lamps.