Louis Poulsen
Louis Poulsen lamps: timeless, appealing design
The history of Louis Poulsen is closely linked to the history of Denmark's first power stations. When the country's second power station began operating in Copenhagen in Denmark in 1892, the wine import business founded by Ludvig R. Poulsen in 1874 became a company selling tools and electrical supplies. In 1896, Ludvig R. Poulsen's nephew, Louis Poulsen, joined the company, which he eventually took over after his uncle's death in 1906. Louis Poulsen soon moved the company's headquarters to Copenhagen, where the parent company is still based today.
Its participation in an international exhibition of decorative arts in Paris in France (the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes) led to the defining collaboration between Louis Poulsen and Poul Henningsen in 1924. Henningsen's lights were awarded a gold medal at this exhibition in 1925. In 1926, Louis Poulsen and Poul Henningsen won the tender for the lighting of the new Forum building in Copenhagen with the legendary PH lamp with its three-part shade. The designer lights were launched on the market in the same year. The first catalogue was published with texts in Danish, German, English and French. By 1929, the sales network had been expanded through agencies in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia.
Alongside the well-known classics such as the striking PH Artichoke pendant light (Kogelen in Danish), the PH 5 pendant light and the delicate table lamps of the PH series – all named after the initials of their creator, Poul Henningsen – Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton and the architect Jens Møller-Jensen also created lights for Louis Poulsen in the 1950s and 1960s that remain very popular today. Together with contemporary designers such as Ross Lovegrove and Louise Campbell, the company is already working on the classics of tomorrow.
Louis Poulsen is undoubtedly one of the most renowned and innovative lighting manufacturers. The combination of flexible production, expertise and innovation at Louis Poulsen created the conditions for a successful symbiosis of technology and architecture. True to the Scandinavian design principle of "form follows function", the philosophy behind the lights is based on just three core elements: function, comfort and ambience. The result is a design that is as clear as it is logical, without superfluous details, and a form that remains the same whether the light is switched on or off. Louis Poulsen stands for simple, appealing design. The aim is to create a pleasant atmosphere that has a positive effect on both space and people. Through close collaboration with designers and architects such as Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Øivind Slaatto, Alfred Homann, Clara von Zweigbergk, nendo – Oki Sato and GamFratesi, Louis Poulsen has established itself as one of the most important global suppliers of architectural and decorative lighting.
