Louis Poulsen in Hamburg

Louis Poulsen

Highlights in every room: lighting icons by Louis Poulsen

Through a portfolio of lighting designs such as Poul Henningsen's PH 5 or Verner Panton's Panthella lamps which have established themselves as icons of modern and contemporary design, Louis Poulsen has become one of the leading international brands for architectural and decorative lighting. Designed according to the principle of form follows function, Louis Poulsen lamps are rooted in the Danish design tradition. They ensure precisely coordinated and beautiful lighting, while Louis Poulsen's passionately commitment to unique light quality, craftsmanship and design for over a hundred years means every Louis Poulsen lamp is not only a work of the highest quality but always a unique work of art. And also means that Louis Poulsen lamps are independent of short-lived design trends and remain timelessly beautiful for generations.

The floor lamps, table lamps, pendant lamps and wall lamps from Louis Poulsen create a special atmosphere in every room not least because they immerse rooms in a light that both creates a feel-good atmosphere and bequeaths a room depth and a complexity. In addition, Louis Poulsen designs, which stand for an elegant and tasteful furnishing style, correspond very well with other furniture designs and accessories. For Louis Poulsen, the collaboration with contemporary designers, such as Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Vilhelm Lauritzen, Øivind Slaatto, Ólafur Elíasson, Oki Sato, or Anne Boysen.

The most important Louis Poulsen collections at a glance

1. AJ Collection - The lamps of Arne Jacobsen

The AJ collection is characterised by the balanced interplay of symmetry and proportion, which is also a central element in Arne Jacobsen's furniture designs acts. Jacobsen's work is thus clearly in the tradition of Scandinavian modernism and should be understood as an expression of functionalist architecture and design theory. Jacobsen's lamps were created as part of one of his architectural projects, the commission for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen in 1956, where Arne Jacobsen implemented his ideas of an ideal hotel, from the building to the furniture and lighting to the cutlery. The striking thing about an Arne Jacobsen lamp is the combination of angles and lines, cylinders and circles. In terms of form, the Louis Poulsen AJ table lamp and AJ floor lamp can be described above all as organic. In terms of functionalism, the function also determines the design to a large extent, while the lampshade of the Arne Jacobsen lights clearly indicates the cone of light with which the lamp illuminates the table. The colour concept of the Louis Poulsen AJ lamps is based on soft, reserved nuances that do not dominate their surroundings.

2. PH Collection - The lamps of Poul Henningsen

Lamp manufacturer Louis Poulsen has been working with Poul Henningsen since 1925. At that time Henningsen designed the first models of his PH lamps, based on which e.g. B. the PH 5 or PH 50 have arisen. In the famous Poul Henningsen lamps, three differently sized, lacquered metal shades are derived from the logarithmic spiral and emit a diffuse, glare-free light. As with all of Henningsen's designs, the relationship between light and shadow, structure and reflection is central to the construction of the PH lamps. In 1958, Louis Poulsen brought the PH Artichoke onto the market, in which the construction based on various metal leaves was expanded so that it now no longer consists of just three metal shells, but rather a large number of small leaves arranged like artichokes. For the duration of his entire career, Poul Henningsen worked on the development of lamps with glare-free light and soft shadows, the light cone of which can be directed in a targeted manner. With the Louis Poulsen lights, Henningsen has realised this claim and has thus created lights that also meet modern lighting design requirements.

3. Panthella Collection - The lamps of Verner Panton

One of the bets known Louis Poulsen lamps is the Panthella lamp, which was created in 1971 in collaboration with the architect and designer Verner Panton. Panthella's signature design reflects the playfulness and creativity of Panton's personality. Verner Panton went unknown ways in terms of colours and materials and created colourful and fascinating places with his design objects and interior architecture, which were often perceived as a provocation and a break with established values. However, he always succeeded in combining his groundbreaking visions with first-class quality and a high standard of functionality. This combination makes his designs so irresistible to this day. By boldly experimenting with new plastics and relying on organic shapes, Panton clearly differentiated himself from his Scandinavian contemporaries with his lamp designs. With the Panthella lamp, Panton wanted to create a lamp in which not only the shade but also the base serves as a reflector part. He allowed this idea to flow into his typical organic design language. With its glare-free light and elegantly curved shape, the Panthella still demonstrates Verner Panton's brilliant flair for atmospheric lighting. In addition to the Panthella table lamp in various sizes and designs, the Louis Poulsen Panthella Collection includes the Panthella floor lamp and the battery-powered lamp Panthella Portable .