In fall 2022, Louis Poulsen will present a special limited-edition fixture by celebrated Danish architect Poul Henningsen—the timeless PH 3/3 Limited Edition Pendant in an exclusive brass and mouth-blown opal glass edition marked with Henningsen’s initials. The luminaire offers unmatched soft and glare-free lighting while creating an instant warm and modern atmosphere in any type of décor.
A striking top shade in brass characterizes the 2022 limited edition by Poul Henningsen. The shade directs the light downward with a white inner reflector. Pairing a brass shade with classic opal-glass shades, the PH 3/3 Limited Edition Pendant provides a golden glow, which completes any modern home.
The PH 3/3 Limited Edition Pendant is easily recognizable with its rounder and more compact shape, which ensures flawless general illumination combined with the cozy atmospheric lighting that is characteristic of the reflective “System PH.” It also comes with a frosted-glass diffuser, which is easy to insert for an even softer distribution of light.
The PH 3/3 Pendant was one of the first fixtures to be based on System PH, which Poul Henningsen began developing in the 1920s—and which later led to his worldwide recognition. He called this three-shade pendant a “whole-number size” and designed it to hang high up in a room and emit a pleasant general light that was unlike that of the chandeliers at the beginning of the 20th century, before electric light became common.
Poul Henningsen’s rational lighting system also takes the materials and surfaces of the lampshades into consideration in order to curb glare and utilize shadows. In 1927, Henningsen started using opal-glass shades and two years later, he began combining materials like copper and opal glass to further address lighting requirements and ensure the highest quality of light. With the introduction of the limited-edition PH 3/3 Pendant in 2022, Louis Poulsen continues Henningsen’s line of thinking. The combination of brass and triple-layered, mouth-blown opal glass provides a particularly soft and uniform distribution of light.
The PH 3/3 Limited Edition Pendant comes with a specially designed brass canopy. Both the brass top shade and canopy are characterized by fine lines that follow the fixture’s round shape. As collector’s items, the lamp is marked with Henningsen’s initials on the socket house. The brass will patinate exquisitely over time. Alternatively, the original finish can be maintained with careful polishing now and then.
The PH 3/3 Limited Edition Pendant provides any space with a fashionable golden touch, exuding a special feeling of cozy luxury. The pendant is striking when hung in a row of multiples—for example, high above a large table in a concept store or hotel. And it looks equally striking on its own—for example, in a small hallway in a private home. The luminaire is recognizable modern Danish retro design that will complement modern surroundings and classic architectural settings alike.
The limited-edition PH 3/3 Pendant will only be available in stores from October 1 until December 31, 2022.
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 an author. For a short period at the beginning of World War II, he was the head architect of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. However, like many other creative people, he was forced to flee Denmark during the German occupation, but 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 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 light 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, Vilhelm Lauritzen, Øivind Slaatto, Olafur Eliasson, Oki Sato, and Anne Boysen, Louis Poulsen has established itself as one of the world’s key suppliers of architectural and decorative lighting. The company has a global presence with showrooms in Copenhagen, Miami, Oslo, Tokyo, Singapore, and Dusseldorf.