PH 2/1 wall light from Louis Poulsen

Poul Henningsen designed the three-shade system in 1925/1926. The first lights with this system were created in collaboration with Louis Poulsen for an exhibition in Paris. This partnership continued until Henningsen's death in 1967. Throughout his life, Poul Henningsen pursued the goal of creating glare-free light and soft shadows and directing the light to where it was most needed. To achieve this, he used light bulbs as light sources. The PH 2/1 wall light is part of the three-shade family, which currently consists of 30 lights, including three lights for outdoor use. Poul Henningsen created not just one luminaire, but an entire system: around 1,000 different models have been produced over the years. This large selection included table, floor and wall lamps as well as several chandeliers, which were very popular for lighting private homes with high ceilings in the 1930s. There were countless possible combinations. The lights were available in different colors and sizes. The first shades were made of metal with a white, gold or silver lacquered underside - depending on whether diffuse, warm or cold light was required. Later, glass was also used for the three-shade system. In addition to the luminaires with downward light emission, glass luminaires were then also used to illuminate rooms. PH was the first person to take a scientific approach to lighting, using the Lituus curve as a basis. By basing his design on the Lituus curve, he achieved a uniform emission of light over the entire bend of the shade. This uniform light emission, combined with the diffuse reflection through the glass, made it possible to tame glare and shadows. Due to the distance to the light source, each shade was able to reduce the amount of light to the same extent. The model numbers of the PH luminaire refer to the size of the shades. The PH 2/1 wall light is a hybrid model. The upper shade has a diameter of approx. 20 cm. The lower shades are from the 1/1 version. The "hybrid" sizes were introduced to fulfill the desire to hang pendant luminaires at lower heights. The system was also used for wall, floor and table lamps. In the "full" sizes, such as the PH 2/2, the upper shade measures approx. 20 cm. The middle and lower shades follow it at a ratio of 3:2:1. The "whole" sizes from Poul Henningsen are designed to be particularly glare-free. They can therefore be placed high up in a room, where they provide high-quality lighting and create a cozy ambience.