Louis Poulsen Fall 2020 Collection
Louis Poulsen is launching its Fall 2020 collection.
A recording of the collection launch webinar may be accessed here. Press releases below:
Recapturing the shades of the PH Septima
PH Septima, designed by Poul Henningsen, features a poetic shape and seven glass shades, all embellished with alternating clear and frosted sections. The glass shades, with their clear and frosted sections, are positioned so that the frosted sections cover the clear sections underneath. This allows the layers to spread the light in a more diffused way.
In the fall of 2020, Louis Poulsen will be bringing back the PH Septima, a distinctive seven-shade glass lamp, originally designed by Poul Henningsen between 1927 and 1931. With its poetic shape and seven shades, all embellished with alternating clear and frosted sections, the PH Septima diffuses a pleasantly delicate light that sets the stage in any interior.
The PH Septima balances heritage and modernity in an exceptional design that draws inspiration from the iconic three-shade system of the PH 5/5. With the Septima, Henningsen added four sections to the basic three-shade system – to make seven shades in total. The seven shades of the glass crown are produced in delicate, but durable, Italian borosilicate glass. The shades are decorated with alternating clear and frosted sections that add a contemporary aesthetic edge while creating a warm and harmonious ambiance.
The glass shades, with their clear and frosted sections, are positioned so that the frosted sections cover the clear sections underneath. This allows the layers to spread the light in a more diffused way while maintaining glare-free, downward-directed light distribution. A neat round glass cup at the top prevents dust from falling into the lamp.
When exhibited for the first time as a prototype at the Danish Museum of Decorative Art (now Design Museum Denmark) in 1928, the PH Septima was publicly applauded. In 1931, Henningsen introduced a smaller version of the PH Septima, which was based on the shade sizes from the PH 4/4. The two sizes were therefore named Septima 5 and 4. Yet, as a result of a shortage of materials in the 1940s, very few examples of the much-admired PH Septima were produced.
During the development of the PH Septima, Henningsen designed a metal version that was never put into production. His drawings, however, formed the basis for the development of the PH Artichoke, designed about three decades later for the Langelinie Pavilion in Copenhagen. Today, the PH Septima is regarded as one of Henningsen’s most refined pendants, and it is recognized for its significant impact as a precursor of the prominent PH Artichoke.
Recapturing the craftsmanship and heritage of Henningsen, Louis Poulsen is proud to bring the PH Septima back to life. In its original design with minor modifications to make it a modern and functional lamp, it meets today’s standards for great lighting comfort.
The PH Septima comes with clear and frosted glass. It has been modernized to include a brass suspension, canopy, and arms to complement the soft tone of the design. To ensure a high level of comfort with soft, diffused, and glare-free light, the bulb is cloaked in seven glass shades. The PH Septima comes in a diameter of 500 mm, based on the shade set of the Septima 5, with an E27 light source. It will be available in stores from the fall of 2020.
About Poul Henningsen
Poul Henningsen was born in Copenhagen to the famous Danish writer Agnes Henningsen. He never graduated as an architect, but studied at the Technical School in Frederiksberg from 1911-14 and then at the Technical College in Copenhagen from 1914-17. He started designing traditional functionalistic architecture, but over the years, he changed his professional focus to concentrate on lighting, which is what he is most famous for.
He also expanded professionally into writing, becoming a journalist and an author. For a short period at the beginning of World War II, he was the head architect of the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. But like many other creative people, he was forced to flee Denmark during the German occupation. However, he soon became an important member of the Danish colony of artists living in Sweden.
Henningsen’s lifelong collaboration with Louis Poulsen began in 1925 and lasted until his death. To this day, Louis Poulsen still benefits from his genius. Poul Henningsen was also the first editor of the company’s magazine, NYT. Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen, CEO of Louis Poulsen at the time, gave the magazine to Henningsen as a gift when he was terminated from the Danish newspaper for which he worked (the newspaper’s management found his opinions too radical).
Henningsen’s pioneering work on the relationship between light structures, shadows, glare, and color reproduction, and humans’ need for light remains the foundation of the lighting theories still practiced by Louis Poulsen.
Bring warmth into every space with the amber-colored PH 2/1 Limited Edition
Poul Henningsen’s iconic PH 2/1 Table Lamp is available in a Limited-Edition amber-colored glass. This exclusive new edition infuses a warm and soothing ambiance, providing a distinctive design element. Available through the end of 2020.
In the fall of 2020, Louis Poulsen will introduce Poul Henningsen’s iconic PH 2/1 Table Lamp in a Limited Edition with amber-colored glass. This exclusive new edition infuses every surface and living space with a warm and soothing ambiance, providing a distinctive design element.
Henningsen originally designed the PH 2/1 Table Lamp in 1927, drawing on the principle of his reflective three-shade system, which he developed in 1926. The notable design of the shades is based on a logarithmic spiral, with the center of the light source placed within the spiral’s focal point to create soft, diffused, and glare-free lighting.
In the late 1920s, Louis Poulsen and Henningsen introduced colored glass lamps to create warmth and bring individuality to living spaces. In 2017, Louis Poulsen brought back the amber-colored shades in the Limited Edition PH 3½-3 Pendant for the first time. The exclusive 2018 and 2019 Limited Edition lamps followed, also featuring the amber-colored glass shades.
This year, Louis Poulsen is proud to honor Henningsen’s legacy by presenting the new Limited Edition PH 2/1 Table Lamp, which now becomes part of the collector’s item range. It is made from Italian mouth-blown glass in a warm and inviting amber color.
The triple-layer glass shades rest on a beautiful, lightly brushed brass frame, which references the original PH Table Lamp from 1927. The brass has been left untreated, allowing it to acquire a unique patina over time. Also made of brushed brass, the switch is located on the stem near the base, alongside a brown textile cord that complements the exclusive design. Henningsen’s initials are beautifully and discreetly engraved beneath the lower glass shade.
The iconic PH 2/1 Table Lamp is made from beautiful, classic materials that fit effortlessly into both simple and eclectic interiors. With changing ways of living, where space is often limited, the table lamp speaks to a contemporary trend that celebrates a more functional use of space. Due to its small size, the PH 2/1 can be placed almost anywhere, like on a windowsill or atop a small table. It can be easily relocated within a compact home, allowing space to be used most effectively.
The Limited Edition PH 2/1 Table Lamp will be available in stores from October 1st until December 31st.
Extensive new lamp series with BIG personality
Keglen is a comprehensive new lamp series, designed by BIG Ideas, of four various shaped pendants (Diams: 6.9″, 9.8″, 15.7″, and 25.6″). Each provides its very own diffusion of light using a curved glass insert, which is built into and adapted to each version of the shade. The collection is available in black and white.
In 2020, Louis Poulsen and BIG Ideas present a comprehensive new lamp series, Keglen. Distinctive design and classic, superior lighting quality will characterize the series.
The key pieces in the Keglen series are four pendants (Diams: 6.9″, 9.8″, 15.7″, and 25.6″). Each provides its very own diffusion of light using a curved glass insert, which is built into and adapted to each version of the shade.
“The main feature of the lamp is the organically-shaped glass that sits perfectly beneath the cone as a small water droplet that’s been shaped by physics and cohesive forces in nature,” says Jakob Lange, Partner, BIG Ideas.
This way, the distinctive cone-shaped shades ensure an attractive and glare-free downward light. The various versions provide the possibility of countless combinations in any interior, and can add visual interest to settings such as restaurants and meeting facilities. However, the pendants are just as beautiful on their own, providing simpler and more intimate lighting for the home. The lamps all have a discreet, uniform opening at the top that allows a little light to flow gently upward, emphasizing the structure of the cord.
This new lamp series is a further development of the “Tirpitz Pendant,” which was the result of the first collaboration between Louis Poulsen and BIG Ideas. The pendant was created for the Tirpitz Museum in Blåvand, Denmark, which BIG designed for the Varde Museums in 2017.
Keglen is available with energy-saving LED lights. It comes in black and white.
About BIG Ideas
BIG Ideas, BIG’s technology-driven specialist product division, is managed by architect Jakob Lange. The division produces the practice’s lamps and other types of digital projects that underpin BIG’s designs, buildings, and ideas. BIG Ideas was established to gain increased influence on the built environment.
Bjarke Ingels Group was founded in 2005 by architect Bjarke Ingels, who continues to define architecture as “the art and science of ensuring that our cities and built environments suit the way in which we want to live our lives.” Bjarke Ingels is driven by the idea of information-controlled design on the basis of thorough project analysis of applicable parameters in an ever-changing society. BIG is a globally-renowned architectural practice that has designed and completed award-winning buildings all over the world.
The PH 5 Family Goes Monochrome
Louis Poulsen introduces Poul Henningsen’s iconic PH 5 pendant from 1958, and the PH 5 Mini, its downscaled successor, in a monochrome palette. The new PH 5 color series captures the timeless versatility of monochrome black, white, and blue, reimagining Henningsen’s classic design and color spectrum with a minimalistic, modern look that harnesses the benefits of state-of-the-art lighting technology.
This fall, Louis Poulsen will introduce Poul Henningsen’s iconic PH 5 pendant from 1958, and the PH 5 Mini, its downscaled successor, in a monochrome palette. The new PH 5 color series captures the timeless versatility of monochrome black, white, and blue, reimagining Henningsen’s classic design and color spectrum with a minimalistic, modern look that harnesses the benefits of state-of-the-art lighting technology.
Poul Henningsen developed the PH 5 in 1958 in response to the constant changes made to the shape and size of incandescent bulbs by bulb manufacturers. When introducing the iconic piece, Henningsen wrote:
“After 33 years of basically Christian behavior, I have converted to Islam in my relationship to the manufacture of incandescent bulbs. For a generation, I have believed that consideration for the consumer and common sense would prevail, but now I have become a fatalist. I have accepted fate, and with Louis Poulsen´s permission, I have designed a PH fixture which can be used with any kind of light source (…).”
Recognized for its pioneering design, the PH 5 continues to serve as a beautiful sculptural interior design element synonymous with the PH light philosophy, which remains completely glare-free, irrespective of how the light is installed or the light source that is used.
With the PH 5, Henningsen also wanted to improve the color reproduction characteristics of the light source. Therefore, small red and blue shades were inserted to supplement the color in the part of the spectrum where the eye is least sensitive – the red and blue areas – and to subdue the light in the middle yellow-green region where the eye is most sensitive. The red and blue rings are, however, no longer necessary in order to achieve superior light quality as contemporary light sources reproduce daylight far better than in Henningsen’s days.
In 2020, the PH 5 series will be introduced in a monochrome palette that emphasizes Henningsen’s striking design and the pendant’s iconic shape, bringing a touch of elegance and contrast to any interior. The PH 5 and the recently launched PH 5 Mini will be available with matte-painted metal shades in black, white, and in vibrant blue for the bolder decorator. All versions have white inner sides for optimum light reflection.
The PH 5 in monochrome comes with a top shade measuring 19.5” in diameter, and an E27 light source. The PH 5 Mini comes with a top shade measuring 11.8” in diameter, and an E14 light source. All of the lamps provide a soft, diffused, and 100% glare-free light, ensuring a high level of lighting comfort based on the principle of Henningsen’s reflective three-shade system.
The PH 5 and PH 5 Mini in monochrome will be available from September 2020.
Louis Poulsen’s new LP Slim Box offers subtle details and play-of-light in a rectangular shape that enriches modern interiors
The light egress of the LP Slim Box emphasizes the design details of the housing. The fixture can be connected lengthwise into a double-length unit, creating further possibilities for exceptional illumination. With its slim, rectangular housing, which frames a high-efficiency light unit, the LP Slim Box emits a directed downward light. The fixture also includes an indirect light component to provide distinctive illumination of ceilings.
In 2020, Louis Poulsen will introduce the LP Slim Box to expand the LP Slim series of distinct fixtures that are suitable for a broad range of applications and architectural spaces. With this new addition to the LP Slim series, Louis Poulsen offers both rectangular and round versions of the modern, yet classic LP Slim fixtures to accommodate different needs for stylish lighting with soft illumination and an aesthetic design.
The LP Slim Box makes it easy to effectively illuminate a variety of spaces while bringing a layer of sleek design to any interior. Louis Poulsen has designed and developed the LP Slim Box based on the same detail and design found in LP Slim Round, meeting both architectural and design requirements in various open-plan environments, such as offices and workspaces, reception areas, and meeting rooms.
The light egress of the LP Slim Box emphasizes the design details of the housing. The fixture can be connected lengthwise into a double-length unit, creating further possibilities for exceptional illumination. With its slim, rectangular housing, which frames a high-efficiency light unit, the LP Slim Box emits a directed downward light. The fixture also includes an indirect light component to provide distinctive illumination of ceilings.
With a broad palette of versions, the LP Box series offers multiple opportunities for creating an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable milieu that meets various functional needs. The LP Slim Box is extendable to make the lamp more versatile, while LP Slim Round from the same series is available in three different sizes and can be mounted in four different ways. This makes the Slim family suitable for both large and small settings.
The LP Slim Box will be available from November 2020.
Product information and specifications
Design: Louis Poulsen A/S
Year: 2020
Dimensions: Single: 690 x 150 x 47 – Double: 1490 x 150 x 47
Materials and finish:
- Housing: aluminum, powder-coated, semi-gloss. Raw available in a matte finish
- Standard colors: raw, black, and white
- Ring: die-cast aluminum
- Diffuser: acrylic, opal, or microprismatic
- Installation lock: aluminum
- Custom-designed LED board with an array of mid-power LEDs arranged to ensure uniformity across the light box
- Available in 3000K or 4000K, and Kelvin Adjustable 2700K – 5700K with CRI >90
A special tribute to Arne Jacobsen and the 60th anniversary of the SAS Royal Hotel
In 2020, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the opening of the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (Radisson Collection), Louis Poulsen is reintroducing the original versions of AJ Table Mini and AJ Royal. In addition, all versions of the AJ Lamp are being re-launched in stainless steel, which reflects their surroundings, emphasizes their minimalist and distinctive shape and design, and accentuates their impeccable illumination.
Louis Poulsen will also release three new special edition colors that will only be available in 2020; Original Gray, Pale Rose, and Ultra Blue.
Arne Jacobsen designed the AJ Lamp for the SAS Royal Hotel in 1957. Today, it is the design that the Danish architect is best known for all over the world.
In combination with the pendant, AJ Royal, the AJ Lamp comprised part of the overall design concept that Jacobsen created for the hotel.
The AJ Lamp, in copper and stainless steel, was used in several parts of the hotel. A copper version of the AJ Royal, which at the time was simply called the AJ Pendant, could be found above the tables in the snack bar behind the atrium, in the lounge on the 1st floor, and in the Panorama Lounge on the 21st floor. The hotel opened in 1960, and with 22 floors, it gave Copenhagen its first real high-rise building, clearly inspired by New York skyscrapers.
The AJ Royal is available in white, in its two original sizes. A new, smaller version joins the line-up in 2020 as well, along with the reintroduction of the series in black. The AJ Royal retains its classic, graphic look as sharply as ever – irrespective of whether it is lighting up a dining table, is used in an office, or displayed in a showroom. Its design ensures even and flawless downward lighting, and its muted upward light provides a pleasant ambiance in any space. The new, energy-saving LED versions of all three sizes of pendants come with a diffusor that offers even smoother, 100% glare-free lighting.
The AJ Table Mini will be available in is original stainless steel version and in all of the existing colors. It looks particularly at home on a windowsill, on a bedside table, or in combination with other occasional furniture.
The new AJ versions will be available in stores from Spring 2020.
About Arne Jacobsen
Arne Jacobsen was born and raised in Copenhagen. In 1927, he graduated as an architect from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. After graduating, he obtained his first job at the office of the City Architect of Copenhagen, launching his own office only two years later. Arne Jacobsen is a world-famous Danish modernistic architect. He has designed numerous buildings in Denmark, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Among his most famous projects are the National Bank in Copenhagen (1971); SAS Royal Hotel & Terminal, Copenhagen (1960); and St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, UK (1963). It is said that his fear of flying inhibited him from making a full impact on the American Architectural environment.
As an architect, Arne Jacobsen had very strong decision-making skills, making it possible for him to influence not only the design of the building itself but the majority of its details. Over the years, he ventured into various fields related to his work, such as light fixtures, furniture, cutlery, door handles, sanitary fixtures, fabrics, and wallpaper patterns. “The Egg” and “The Swan” are two famous chairs designed by Jacobsen.
During Arne Jacobsen’s lifetime, he received several prestigious awards both at home and abroad. He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy for 11 years and through that, influenced an entire generation of Danish Architects. Each of his students eventually developed their own architectural language, built upon Jacobsen’s rationalistic and minimalist approach toward architecture.
About Louis Poulsen
In 1924, Poul Henningsen created his influential Paris lamp for Louis Poulsen. The origin of how we still design to shape light can directly be traced back to his views on the dualities of design and light.
Founded in 1874, Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting manufacturer born out of the Scandinavian design tradition where form follows function. The function and design of our products are tailored to reflect and support the rhythm of natural light. Every detail in the design has a purpose. Every design starts and ends with light.
We believe in passionate craftsmanship that produces quality lighting, and we design products that are both pleasing to the eye and to the light.
In close partnership with designers, architects, and other talents like Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Øivind Slaatto, Alfred Homann, Oki Sato, and Louise Campbell, we have established ourselves as one of the key global suppliers of architectural and decorative lighting. Our products defy traditional product categories, serving and spanning the professional and private lighting markets for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Our means are simple and beautiful design. Our purpose is to create an attractive ambiance that affects people and spaces.
We design to shape light.
Louis Poulsen has a global presence with dedicated showrooms in Copenhagen, Miami, Oslo, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Dusseldorf.
Additional information is available at www.louispoulsen.com