Louis Poulsen continues to improve on the inherent longevity of its products with the new, raw, and upcycled PH 5 Retake—bringing this classic design into a new era.
With a firm belief in recycling and upcycling, Louis Poulsen is continuously researching and experimenting with how to best reuse materials and products, including transforming flawed products into treasured new lamps—like the new PH 5 Retake. This unique lamp with a raw finish is made from shelved PH 5s that might have crooked shades, irregularities or dents, while using minimal resources.
The transition process from a vintage or imperfect PH 5 to a one-of-a-kind PH 5 Retake involves removing the paint from each pendant, allowing the aesthetics of the aluminum shades and the lower steel shade to emerge with remarkable raw nuances. The pendant is then fully retrofitted, upgrading it with the latest technology.
Upcycling a vintage or flawed classic PH 5 to a new, raw PH 5 Retake is an interesting and modern twist on the concept of aesthetics, which Louis Poulsen is eager to explore further.
“We put a lot of effort into what we do at Louis Poulsen, we always have. We’re known for making lamps that last, and often they stand out even more over time, partly due to their design but also due to the superiority of the materials. It’s the only way for us, and now more than ever,” says Monique Faber, Product & Design Director at Louis Poulsen.
Coating the PH 5 Retake with a dry lubricant to protect its metal parts completes the upcycling process. Without further treatment, the metal will patinate beautifully over time, allowing each pendant to develop its own characteristics. If preferred, applying a dry lubricant every now and again will help maintain the original raw-metal finish.
Mounted over the dining table in the kitchen of a small, hip city apartment—or in a row above a long kitchen table in a classic and stylish house—the PH 5 Retake provides a cozy ambiance with a truly modern edge. Merging retro with contemporary, the PH 5 Retake is also a perfect fit for sharp up-and-coming retail environments, bars, and restaurants.
Central design principles
The perspectives of recycling and upcycling are consistent with Louis Poulsen’s central design principle of designing lamps that last for generations, which has been a steadfast aim, since teaming up with lighting design mastermind Poul Henningsen in the 1920s.
A classic example is the iconic PH 5 pendant from 1958, which is still one of the most famous and best-selling Louis Poulsen designs of all time. By virtue of its durability and timeless design, it is a testament to the underlying circularity of all Louis Poulsen product designs in general—now taken to the next level with the upcycled PH 5 Retake.
“The durability and high quality of our lighting designs form the Louis Poulsen legacy, and it’s certainly something we cherish. It makes us proud to see how our products, including the PH 5s, are sold over and over again, only to be restored and traded once more, and how they’re passed on from one generation to the next,” says David Obel Rosenkvist, Chief Commercial & Creative Officer at Louis Poulsen.
Applying the principles
Having been retrofitting fixtures for a long time, Louis Poulsen is also upgrading other Henningsen designs with new and better technology, without compromising the design or lighting quality. Louis Poulsen can help you find the right quality components or spare parts needed to repair a fixture or modernize it with an LED or similar upgrade.
Available only on louispoulsen.com, Louis Poulsen showrooms, and D Studio.
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 out 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.
Henningsen also expanded professionally into writing, becoming a journalist and 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. 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, color reproduction, and humans’ need for light remains the foundation of the lighting theories still practiced by Louis Poulsen.
About Louis Poulsen
Founded in 1874, the 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, architects, and other talents like Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Øivind Slaatto, Alfred Homann, Oki Sato, and Louise Campbell, Louis Poulsen has established itself as one of the world’s key suppliers of architectural and decorative lighting. Louis Poulsen has a global presence with showrooms in Copenhagen, Miami, Oslo, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Dusseldorf.