In the 1940s, the Danish architect and designer Vilhelm Lauritzen had the idea that there was a need for a lamp of some kind, neither a spherical pendant nor the PH lamp that was popular at the time, and this idea became the basis for the new VL ring crown, a clean, glare-free, practical lamp with a glass shade.
Louis Poulsen is now dreaming of a new revival of the VL Ring Crown Classic design.
The VL ring crown is made of unmilled polished brass and features three, five or seven mouth-blown triple-glazed white opal glass shades. Throughout the world, they add a touch of uniqueness and luxury to interiors, while also serving as a warm light that gently illuminates modern homes.
The VL Ring Crown is designed based on the shape of a lamp built in the 1940s for use in an old Danish broadcasting station built in Copenhagen. Its lamps were widely used in stations, mainly in the form of wall lamps and pendant versions, and the ring crown was not noticeable there at all for some time. However, it wasn't long before a ring crown based on the original drawings was released.
The B&G ring crown was also used in the interior design project of its flagship store commissioned in 1947 by Danish porcelain manufacturer Bing & Grøndahl on Copenhagen's Amagertorv Square, for which architect Finn Juhl, who once worked as an employee of Vilhelm Lauritzen, was awarded the Eckersberg Medallion.
Vilhelm Lauritzen sold a lot of money with his ring crowns, and in 1953 he described them to Poul Henningsen in Louis Poulsen NYT magazine.
"It should be easy to clean, it should not accumulate dust on the floor, it should not shatter in one fell swoop on impact, it should be easy to change the bulb, it should be anti-glare (no dimming), it should be able to be used as a downward light or even light in all directions as needed. It also needs to have a neat appearance."
The VL ring crown perfectly meets all expectations. It will be available in stores from September 2019 in a wall lamp and pendant version, as well as in white opal glass and brass.
Introduction to Vilhelm Lauritzen (1894–1984)
Vilhelm Lauritzen is one of the most important architects in Danish history and a pioneer of Danish functionalism. He designed many buildings that represent the essence of modern living, including the Nørrebro Theatre (1931–32), the Daells Varehus department store (1928–35), the Radiohuset (1936–41) and the first airport built in Kastrup (1937–39).
Other major buildings included in Lauritzen's design drawings include the Folkets Hus (1953–56), better known today as Vega Concert Street, the Shellhuset (1950–51) building, and the Danish Embassy in Washington (1958–60). In particular, the aforementioned Radiohuset building and the early version of Kastrup Airport are considered to be monuments in which the characteristics of the modernist genre of European architecture are most prominently expressed.
Louis Poulsen, a Danish lighting manufacturer founded in 1874, creates products that incorporate the two elements of design and lighting. Every detail in design has a purpose. Every design begins and ends with light. Louis Poulsen offers a wide range of luminaires aimed at the commercial and home lighting markets, with luminaires and solutions for both indoor and outdoor environments. In close partnership with designers and architects such as Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Øivind Slaatto, Alfred Homann, Oki Sato and GamFratesi, Louis Poulsen has established itself as a key supplier of architectural and decorative lighting worldwide, with dedicated showrooms worldwide in Copenhagen, Singapore, Stockholm, Miami, Oslo, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Düsseldorf.
August 2019 Press Release