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The exclusive “Artichoke” in various materials.
The collection includes his most popular lamps, but also prototypes and one-offs. His lamps are ubiquitous in Denmark, from private homes to official buildings. The collection is beautifully presented, with the lamps hovering like planets and UFOs under the soaring ceiling of the old ruin. The ground-breaking designs, some as early as 1924, looks very modern, particularly in contrast with the crumbling old bricks.
A Pioneer in Danish Design
Poul Henningsen (1894-1967) was a pioneer in Danish design. He began his ground-breaking work in electric lighting as early as the 1920s. His aim was to use intelligent lighting to improve the quality of life in the home and in public spaces. The sharp glare of the electric light bulb had to be tamed.
Out of this basic idea an entire lighting system, System PH, grew up in the course of the 1930s. It was mass-produced and sold over
the whole world. A design icon was born.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Poul Henningsen continued adding new lamps to his system – all faithful to the original idea. A new pinnacle was reached in 1958, in the form of two new classics from PH: the exclusive “Artichoke” for firms and institutions, and the relatively affordable PH5 for the many private homes in the newly-built areas of detached housing.
The exhibition shows all the well-known PH lamps – and a number of the less well-known ones – from the early beginnings in 1924 until the present day. Today the initials PH still represent, over the whole world, the highest quality in modern lighting design.
Read press release og download photos in high definition here >>
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