The beauty of Poul Henningsen’s legacy – a legacy that is integral to the Louis Poulsen story – lies in the continued relevance and adaptability of his designs. In celebration of Henningsen’s ingenious light play, Louis Poulsen is releasing a limited edition of his PH 3½-3 pendant, originally designed in 1926. Featuring amber-coloured glass and a brass suspension, the exclusive pendant will be available to design aficionados for just two months, from November through December, 2017.
Louis Poulsen and Poul Henningsen initially introduced coloured glass lamps in the late 1920s to attract new customers – an endeavour that proved quite successful. For today’s discerning lovers of iconic Danish design, Louis Poulsen is presenting the pendant’s Italian, mouth-blown, three-layered glass in a classic amber hue. The special edition colour accentuates the PH 3½-3’s exceptional warmth and human expression. “As the glass of each pendant is crafted individually, each lamp varies ever so slightly from the others, resulting in unique pieces that are as much works of art as functional additions to home or work spaces,” says Rasmus Markholt, Idea & Design Director at Louis Poulsen, noting that the pendant’s size makes it ideal for use over a dining table – or, in a more artful arrangement, for hanging multiple pendants together.
Describing Louis Poulsen’s new take on a classic design, Rasmus Markholt continues, “The pedant has that coveted retro expression – yet its organic and geometric forms and intelligent architecture make the design essentially, and almost stubbornly, modern. This is the essence of iconic design, and the reason behind the remarkable longevity of Poul Henningsen’s work. We are thrilled to offer the classic PH 3½-3 in this beautiful new variant, which reflects today’s growing retro trends and an increasing desire to incorporate warm metallic tones like gold and brass into contemporary interiors.”
The PH 3½-3 Amber Coloured Pendant features Poul Henningsen’s legendary three-shade system, invented in 1926 and known for its ability to direct the majority of the light downwards while eliminating glare. The amber tone and glossy surface on the shades’ exterior, combined with the sandblasted matt underside, results in soft, ideally diffused light distribution. When unlit, the pendant continues to play a dynamic role in its environment, its glossy surface mirroring the surroundings. The brushed brass suspension has been left untreated, allowing it to become darker with individualised patina over time, unless polished.
Henningsen, who first saw electric light in 1907, dedicated most of his life to taming the phenomenon, developing ways to reduce glare and enhance illumination through innovative design. His revolutionary three-shade system succeeded in achieving softly diffused, glare-free lighting that made working and living spaces more comfortable and inviting.
As Louis Poulsen continues its journey of shaping light – and people’s experiences of the spaces it illuminates – the company pays homage to the Poul Henningsen tradition of designing intelligently and with timeless style: a philosophy the PH3½-3 Amber Coloured Pendant brilliantly brings to life.
PH 3½-3 Amber Coloured Pendant dimensions: diameter 330 mm; height 225 mm.
The Limited-edition PH 3½-3 Amber Coloured Pendant will be available in stores from November 1st to December 31st.
Group PR Manager Sarah Lærke Stevens, sls@louispoulsen.dk, Tel: (+45) 4123 7903
Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting manufacturer, founded in 1874. Through close cooperation with designers and architects like Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Vilhelm Lauritzen, Øivind Slaatto, nendo (Oki Sato), Shoichi Uchiyama, Louise Campbell and Mads Odgård, Louis Poulsen has established itself as one of the key suppliers of architectural lighting in the world market. The company offers a range of lighting targeting both the commercial and domestic lighting markets. There is a story behind every Louis Poulsen product. These are products whose designers focus on light itself and the idea behind the product as well as on the refinement of an architect’s, light specialist’s or furnishing designer’s concepts and visions about light – all in harmony with Louis Poulsen’s own lighting philosophy: design to shape light.
Press release, October 2017