Experience the captivating character of the AJ Oxford Table Lamp, and its excellent atmospheric lighting, when Louis Poulsen reintroduces this timeless design classic in the spring of 2023. Originally designed in the early 1960s for St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, England, the AJ Oxford Table Lamp remains as engaging as ever.
The AJ Oxford Table Lamp is part of the total work of art of the modernist and highly praised St. Catherine’s College, which is situated east of central Oxford. Here, Arne Jacobsen succeeded in combining contemporary building materials, such as brick, concrete, and glass with a traditional Oxford college layout centered on a quadrangle.
St. Catherine’s College was inaugurated in 1964 and is considered to be one of Jacobsen’s masterpieces. As part of his gesamtkunstwerk (complete work of art), Jacobsen designed most of the interior as well, continuing the building’s geometric lines into details such as the cutlery and the AJ Oxford fixtures, which are found in the college’s impressive dining hall.
Jacobsen also planned the college gardens, even deciding which species of fish should live in the pond. In 2020, the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England upgraded the gardens to the highest level of protection.
Jacobsen designed the AJ Oxford fixture as a table pin lamp for the long rows of oak tables in the dining hall. The clerestory windows, which let in natural daylight, are complemented by lighting from the AJ Eklipta Wall Lamps as well as rows of AJ Oxford Table pin lamps with their original brown-painted metal shades and frames, which are all there to this day.
St. Catherine’s College is still used for teaching and student housing. During university holidays, it serves as a bed & breakfast that the public can visit to enjoy Jacobsen’s architecture and design.
Jacobsen created more than one variant of the AJ Oxford. From 1964–66, he designed a classic table version as well as a pendant version of the AJ Oxford. In the spring of 2023, the AJ Oxford Table Lamp will be reintroduced in two sizes and a monochrome color palette. The AJ Oxford Table Lamp stays true to Jacobsen’s original design with its sleek, graphic expression, emphasizing the balance between its elegant stem and sculptural shade. With this fixture, form follows function in a playful manner—where the stem seamlessly blends into the base with the cord continuing the visual line.
The two sizes of the AJ Oxford Table Lamp make it a perfect fit almost anywhere in the home, whether it is placed on a windowsill, a bookshelf, the desk in a home office—or even on a bedside table.
Both sizes are available with or without the top metal shade and have the original brass on/off “union nut” button and finger screw to fasten the glass. The taller size also comes in a pin-mounting version without the top metal shade—just like the original from St. Catherine’s College, making it highly suitable for libraries, hotel rooms, reception areas, restaurants, meeting rooms, or any space that would benefit from excellent atmospheric lighting combined with the character and charm of its timeless design.
The AJ Oxford Table Lamp will be available in stores from spring 2023.
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 and founded his own office only two years later. Jacobsen is a world-famous Danish modernistic architect. His buildings are numerous 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 prohibited him from making a full impact on the American architectural environment. As an architect, Jacobsen had very strong decision-making skills, making it possible for him to influence not only the design of the building itself but also the majority of the 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 his lifetime, he received several prestigious awards in Denmark and abroad. He served as a professor at the Royal Danish Academy for 11 years. Through that, he influenced an entire generation of Danish architects who each developed their own architectural language built upon the same rationalistic and minimalist approach toward architecture.
About Louis Poulsen
Established in 1874, the original house of light, Louis Poulsen creates iconic products that provide exceptional light. Honoring the Danish design tradition, Louis Poulsen’s designs are based on the principle that form follows function. Working in close collaboration with prominent designers like Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Vilhelm Lauritzen, Øivind Slaatto, Olafur Eliasson, Oki Sato and Anne Boysen, Louis Poulsen continues to build upon its legacy of creating luxury lighting with the help of passionate craftsmanship, quality materials, and innovative designs. Louis Poulsen has established itself as a leading global architectural and decorative lighting brand. The company has a global presence with showrooms in Copenhagen, Miami, Oslo, Tokyo, Singapore, and Dusseldorf.