100 Years of Perfect Light
It's no secret that at Pickle Design, where I work, we love design classics. We've chosen to illustrate quite a few of them for newsletters and calendars over the years. I just love discovering good design, and the stories behind it.
One illustration I did which never saw the light of day was the PH lamp system designed by Poul Henningsen for Danish lighting company Louis Poulsen. The distinctive three-shade system was developed during 1925–26, so a century later seemed like a very good excuse to bring it out again.
Henningsen was fascinated by light but frustrated by glare. Rather than simply hiding the bulb, he took a much more scientific approach to controlling and softening the light it produced.
The geometry of his shades was based on the logarithmic spiral, a form familiar from the natural world. By carefully calculating the curves and position of each shade, he could distribute the light more evenly and create a softer glow without the uncomfortable glare of a bare electric bulb.
The Danes embraced this new approach to lighting and the PH system developed into an entire family of lamps for homes and public buildings.
We particularly like the simplicity of the PH 5, introduced in 1958. Henningsen designed it in response to the constantly changing shapes and sizes of incandescent bulbs, creating a lamp that would still produce soft, comfortable and glare-free light whatever bulb was fitted.
Just as iconic is the PH Artichoke, designed that same year for the Langelinie Pavillonen restaurant in Copenhagen. Its 72 precisely positioned metal leaves hide the light source from every angle while creating that wonderful sculptural shape.
Beautiful functionality with such elegant design.
I've pulled together a few of my favourite details about Henningsen and the PH 5 in the infographic below – including the rather pleasing reason behind that '5'.
Images and product information from Louis Poulsen.
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