Scandinavia Design

PH3/2 wall – Louis Poulsen

Poul Henningsen, 1926

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Louis Poulsen, Danish Design Lighting
Applique PH 3/2 Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen, 1926
Applique PH 3/2 Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen, 1926

The PH3/2 wall lamp is one of a family of PH lamps with 3 shades, created in the winter of 1925-26 for an exhibition in Copenhagen. For the PH3/2 wall lamp, the first number indicates that the diameter of the upper shade is approximately 30 cm, and the second that the size ratio between the 3 shades is 3/2/1.

In 1926, Poul Henningsen had this to say about the new system: "The real innovation of the PH luminaire is that it produces light that is both glare-free and economical. It's quite easy to create glare-free lighting (indirect light or with a thick shade) if some of the light can be wasted. It's also easy to create highly efficient luminaires if you ignore the fact that they are highly irritating to the eyes. But creating lighting that is both economical and glare-free is an art.

Applique PH 3/2 Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen, 1926
Applique PH 3/2 Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen, 1926

PH 3/2 Wall Lamp

Materials mouth-blown white opal glass – high lustre chrome plated, spun brass

Cable length 2.9 m – switch on wall plate.

Weight 2.2 kg

Light source 1 x E14
The PH3/2 wall light is available with or without a switch and with or without cable.

Class Ingress protection IP44. Electric shock protection II w/o ground.

Applique PH 3/2 Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen, 1926
Applique PH 3/2 Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen, 1926

Poul Henningsen

Poul Henningsen

Born in Copenhagen, Poul Henningsen's mother was the famous Danish actress Agnes Henningsen. He never qualified as an architect, but studied at the Technical School in Frederiksberg (Denmark) from 1911 to 1914, and then at the Technical College in Copenhagen (1914-1917).

He started out practising traditional functionalist architecture, but over the years his professional interests evolved to focus mainly on lighting, which is what he is most famous for. He also branched out into writing, becoming a journalist and author. For a brief period at the start of the Second World War, he was chief architect of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. But like many other creative people, he was forced to flee Denmark during the German occupation, and soon became a vital part of the Danish colony of artists living in Sweden.

His long collaboration with Louis Poulsen began in 1925 and lasted until his death. To this day, Louis Poulsen still benefits from his genius. Poul Henningsen was also the first editor-in-chief of the business magazine "NYT". Louis Poulsen's CEO at the time, Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen, offered PH the magazine because he had been sacked from the Danish newspaper he was working for (his views were too radical).

Poul Henningsen's pioneering work on the relationship between light structures, shadows, glare and colour reproduction, compared with man's need for light, remains the foundation of the lighting theories still practised by Louis Poulsen.