The person who was the pioneer expert in lighting theory and its usage in interior design (heminredning) was Poul Henningsen. Though he had formal education in architecture, he is known more for his work with lamps. Good lighting for business workplace and homes was owing to his influence that exists even till now.
For insight into his unique perspective about electrical lighting (belysning), a review of his early years is helpful. Henningsen was born in 1894 and grew up in a modest but happy home lit not by electrical lighting, but rather by the soft glow of gas lighting. That of course was the norm for small town life at the turn of the century.
When he began working as an architect, he had the opportunity to see and tour many facilities with electrical lighting. He was appalled and repulsed by the design and functionality of their lighting fixtures. He disliked how they made their surroundings look and feel. The existing ways to implement and use electrical lighting seemed sorely lacking, providing lighting (belysning) that appeared ugly, harsh, glaring, and rather unpleasant to experience.
Due to his lighting nostalgia, he began experimenting to create new light fixtures to obtain a softer atmospheric lighting. He designed his first multi-shade lamp in 1924, the prototype of what later became known as the PH lamp. The 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts was where he debuted some of his designs and won the first prize in the modern lighting category. Soon, the ph 5 pendel lamp model became very popular and went into commercial production.
Using the cleverly positioned lampshades, the ph 5 pendel pendant lamp delivered filtered light. To obtain optimal light distribution and minimal glare, Henningsen performed extensive experiments on the lampshades. The result is a lampshade that distributes the light, and with colors on the inside of the lampshade to help soften the whiteness of that light. The end product minimizes the harsh abrupt contrast between light and dark seen at the outer edges of ordinary lighting.
ph 5 pendel lamps can still be purchased today. This lamp has been scaled ideally for home use. This lamp’s beauty and simple elegance of it’s design can be seen by everyone. This lamp is made up of a series of three graduated reflector shades that serve to both soften and direct light in a uniform and symmetrical fashion. The way this ph 5 pendel lampshade covers the light bulbs and directs the light downward, providing soft illumination for a nice ambiance of relaxing and comfort, is the reason that most people love this lampshade.
One of the great pioneers in lighting theory and interior design (heminredning) is Poul Henningsen. Though he had formal education in architecture, he is known more for his work with lamps. Good lighting for business workplace and homes is owing to his influence. His first multi-shade lamp, known as the PH-lamp, was designed in 1924. The next year he displayed some of his creations at the 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts and took the top prize for modern lighting. After his win his model ph5 lampa lamp went into production and was immensely popular.
- Richard Guilfoyle
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