In 2019, Louis Poulsen will introduce a new member of the VL45 Radiohus Pendant family. The new size Ø175 will complement the existing Ø250 and Ø370 sizes, creating endless opportunities for exciting new interior designs involving this beloved classic.
In partnership with Louis Poulsen, iconic Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen designed the VL45 Radiohus Pendant in the 1940s for Radiohuset, the new Danish Broadcasting House. The VL45 Radiohus Pendant was originally called the "Office Lamp."
The Office Lamp was a very similar but less complex version of the Studio Lamp. The Studio Lamp, with its two-piece shade, was designed to be small and aerodynamic so that it wouldn't interrupt the airflow of the ventilation in the stuffy studios where musicians practiced for hours and hours. The light also needed to combine a downward and precise working light with an overall softer, more diffused, and glare-free light.
Vilhelm Lauritzen used elliptical mirrors in the inner shade surrounded by the outer opal glass bell in order to meet these requirements. The VL45 Radiohus Pendant, as we know it today, retains these lighting benefits as well as its warm, sophisticated look and feel that fit so perfectly into current interior design trends.
All the VL45 Radiohus Pendant variations are made of the characteristic mouth-blown, glossy white opal glass and untreated brushed brass. Large or small, alone or in groups, the pendants have their own way of enhancing all types of interiors.
The VL45 Radiohus Pendant will be available in size Ø175 in stores starting in September and size Ø370 will be offered with an LED upgrade embedded in the pendant.
About Vilhelm Lauritzen (1894–1984)
Vilhelm Lauritzen is one of the most significant architects in the history of Denmark. He was the trailblazing figurehead of Danish functionalism. A number of his buildings – Nørrebro Theatre (1931–32), Daells Varehus department store (1928–35), Radiohuset (1936-41), and the first airport built in Kastrup (1937–39) – represented the concentrated essence of contemporary life.
Other significant buildings to stem from Lauritzen’s drawing board include Folkets Hus (1953–56) better known today as the "Vega concert venue," the Shellhuset (1950–51) building, and the Danish embassy in Washington DC (1958–60). In particular, the Radiohuset building and the earliest version of Kastrup Airport – both listed today – are considered peerless monuments to modernism in the European genre of construction.
About 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. The company has a global presence with dedicated showrooms in Copenhagen, Singapore, Stockholm, Miami, Oslo, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Dusseldorf.
North American Media Contact:
Alyssa Young, alyssa@bdeonline.biz
Press release, August 2019