Poul Henningsen

Born in 1894, Poul Henningsen is an iconic designer, architect and writer who made a massive impact on Danish culture throughout the 20th century. Being inventive from a young age, Henningsen started in architecture and design in the 1920s, developing different lights for several projects and commissions. In 1925, he began his lifelong collaboration with lighting brand Louis Poulsen and created his most famous design: the PH lamp.

Based on a logarithmic spiral, the PH lamps utilise a three-shade system that distributes the light and creates a glare-free glow. This was innovative and forward-thinking at the time as there was a need to create an effective pendant light which could illuminate a room by emitting a thorough and widespread light. His design then evolved into thousands of products and lights, being used to create different pendant lights, table lamps and floor lamps that are still in production today. His most successful and popular light came in 1958 with the PH5 pendant, which he made in response to bulb manufacturers constantly changing bulb sizes.

Louis Poulsen carries on Poul Henningsen’s legacy, and his designs will be enjoyed for many decades to come!