Henningsen's philosophy of light
Poul Henningsen was born in Copenhagen in Denmark, the son of the famous Danish actress Agnes Henningsen. He never qualified as an architect, but studied at the Technical School in Frederiksberg from 1911 to 1914 and then at the Technical College in Copenhagen from 1914 to 1917.
Henningsen began his career designing traditional functionalist architecture. However, his professional interest soon turned mainly to lighting design – and that is what the Dane is famous for. Henningsen also expanded his work into writing, becoming a journalist and author. For a short time at the beginning of the Second World War, he was chief architect at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. But like many other creative people, Poul Henningsen was forced to flee Denmark during the German occupation and soon became an important part of the Danish artistic community living in Sweden.
Poul Henningsen's pioneering work on the relationships between light structures, shadow, reflection and colour rendering, always guided by the human need for light, remains the cornerstone of the lighting theory still used by Louis Poulsen today.
The three-shade lights
Poul Henningsen's best-known designs are undoubtedly his three-shade lights. Originally designed as a pendant light, the construction also became established as a table and floor lamp. Today there is a large family of PH three-shade lights. The shades reflect and refract the light several times, producing soft, directed light that is very comfortable on the eyes. Many PH lights have shades painted on the inside, giving the light a particular colour – so you can choose different lighting moods for every part of your home.
The many ways to combine them and the wide range of variants are what have allowed the PH family of lights to grow steadily and have made it famous around the world.
Poul Henningsen's lifelong collaboration with Louis Poulsen began in 1925 and lasted until his death. Louis Poulsen still benefits from his genius today.
Perfectly formed lighting design: Louis Poulsen
The Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen, founded in 1874, creates products that embody the duality of design and light. Every detail of a design serves a specific purpose. Every design begins and ends with light. Louis Poulsen offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor lighting for both professional and residential use. Through close collaboration with designers and architects such as Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Øivind Slaatto, Alfred Homann, Clara von Zweigbergk, nendo – Oki Sato and GamFratesi, Louis Poulsen has established itself as one of the most important global suppliers of architectural and decorative lighting.
