In autumn 2020, Louis Poulsen will be introducing Poul Henningsen’s iconic PH 2/1 Table Lamp in a Limited Edition in amber-colored glass. The exclusive new edition infuses every surface and living space with a warm, soothing ambience and provides a distinctive design element.
Poul 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 centre of the light source placed in the spiral’s focal point to create soft, diffused and glare-free lighting.
In the late 1920s, Louis Poulsen and Poul Henningsen introduced colored glass lamps to create warmth and more individuality in living spaces. In 2017, Louis Poulsen brought back the amber-colored shades in the Limited Edition PH 3½-3 Pendant for the first time, followed by the exclusive 2018 and 2019 Limited Edition lamps also featuring the amber-colored glass shades.
This year, Louis Poulsen is proud to honour Poul Henningsen’s legacy and present 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.
The three-layer glass shades rest on a beautiful, lightly brushed brass frame which references to 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. Due to its small size, the PH 2/1 can be placed almost anywhere like in a windowsill or on a small tabletop and can easily be relocated in a compact home, allowing space to be used more effectively.
The Limited Edition PH 2/1 Table Lamp will be available in stores from 1 October to 31 December 2020.
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 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.
His 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 magazine NYT. Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen, CEO of Louis Poulsen at the time, gave the magazine to PH as a gift because he had been terminated from the Danish newspaper for which he worked (in the opinion of the newspaper management, his opinions were too radical).
Poul Henningsen’s pioneering work on the relationship between light structures, shadows, glare and colour reproduction and man’s need for light remains the foundation of the lighting theories still practised by Louis Poulsen.
Founded in 1874, Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen creates products that encompass the duality of design and light. Every detail in the design has a purpose. Every design starts and ends with light. Louis Poulsen offers a range of lighting aimed at the commercial and domestic lighting markets, with lighting fixtures and solutions for both indoor and outdoor applications. In close partnership with designers and architects like Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Øivind Slaatto, Alfred Homann, Oki Sato, and GamFratesi, Louis Poulsen has established itself as one of the world's key suppliers of architectural and decorative lighting and has a global presence with dedicated showrooms in Copenhagen, Singapore, Miami, Oslo, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Dusseldorf.