Poul Henningsen was an originator when thinking about lights in the home and their relationship to interior design (heminredning). His education concerned the style and design of buildings, but his legacy involved mobile lights. Many of his theories are the basis of the current marketplace.
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 started his work as an architect, he was given the chance to visit and learn about many different facilities that had electrical lighting. He did not like the design or functionality of the light fixtures that were available in those days. He was repulsed by how the light made the facilities look and feel. It seemed to him that the current methods of using electrical lighting were not working the best. The current fixtures provided light that was not attractive, and was harsh and glaring as well.
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 PH5 lamp model became very popular and went into commercial production.
Using the cleverly positioned lampshades, the PH5 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.
Even today, you can still purchase a PH5 that has been designed specifically for home use. The beauty and simple elegance of the original design are still evident. The lamp is still made of a series of three graduated reflector shades. The help to soften and direct light in a uniform, symmetrical manner. An atmosphere of ambience and relaxing comfort are achieved with the PH5, which cover the light bulb and direct the light downward to provide soft illumination.
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