POUL HENNINGSEN, 1958
Object
The PH 5 pendant lamp is a highly significant object in design history. Born from a technical need rather than an aesthetic desire, Poul Henningsen’s PH5 is an icon of Scandinavian design and one of the most important pendant lamps in design history.
Designed by Poul Henningsen in 1958, the PH5 pendant was created in response to the continuous changes in the shape and size of incandescent bulbs. Henningsen designed a pendant lamp that could be used with any type of light bulb available on the market at the time.
The Principles of the PH Design: Light to Improve Quality of Life
In addition to addressing this need, the iconic design of the PH5 is based on Henningsen’s three-shade system principles, which ensure soft, pleasant, and completely glare-free light.
Henningsen’s system directs most of the light downward. At the same time, the PH5 emits lateral light that illuminates it internally, resulting in a soft glow from the core. Lastly, the bottom shade is equipped with a frosted glass diffuser to ensure that the light directed downward is completely glare-free.
Thanks to this system, Henningsen designed a lamp that provided light very similar to natural light, which is scarce in Scandinavian countries for a significant part of the year. For this reason, it was crucial for the Danish designer to create lighting that would accompany people during the dark months with natural, soft, and friendly light—a light that could improve the quality of life.
Following these principles, the PH 5 was initially equipped with red and blue shades to enhance the light’s color. These were later removed in subsequent decades because the light sources available today reproduce daylight much more effectively than in 1958.
The PH5 Pendant in Museums
The PH 5 has been one of the most iconic and respected lamps in the design world for over 60 years, appreciated both for its functionality and its aesthetic impact.
A milestone in the world of lighting and design history, it is part of the collections of numerous prestigious design museums worldwide, including MoMA in New York, Centre Pompidou, the Met, Art Institute of Chicago, and many others.
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Details
Louis Poulsen
The original version of the PH5 lamp by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen is available on Archiproducts starting at €875 (price at the time of writing).
Dimensions of the PH5 pendant lamp:
- Diameter: 50 cm
- Height: 26.7 cm
- Shades and anti-glare disc: spun aluminum, spun copper, or drawn brass.
- Mounting system: rolled aluminum.
