Louis Poulsen Danish Lighting Manufacturer

Design to Shape Light

Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting company founded in 1874 that follows the Scandinavian design tradition of form following function. Louis Poulsen items are designed to reflect and promote the cycle of natural light through their function and design. Every element of the design serves a specific purpose. Light is at the heart of every design.

History

The company began manufacturing in the 1920s. Poul Henningsen’s well-known ceiling lamp for Poulsen was put in Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Tugendhat residence in Brno from 1929 to 1939. Lamps based on Henningsen’s design (the PH series) and other early designs are still available. Arne Jacobsen designed for Poulsen in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and Verner Panton created various designs. Since 1950, the company has used acrylic for shades, diffusers, and light fixtures.

Recognition

Henningsen received multiple honours for his lighting designs for Poulsen, including a 1924 competition for the design of lamps in the Danish pavilion at the 1925 Paris International Exposition and numerous more awards for his lighting designs for Poulsen.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Louis Poulsen in Store

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