A chance to (re)discover as Louis Poulsen launches ICONS

Louis Poulsen has quite a legacy already, having been designing and manufacturing quality lights since 1874. The brand adheres to a philosophy of form follows function and every detail is thoughtful and purposive.

The latest collection, ICONS, takes us on a journey into some of the richness of that legacy. It’s a celebration involving a handpicked selection of some of the Danish manufacturer’s most iconic work, as well as some striking new additions. Nine significant lamps are presented as part of the new collection, including two new introductions and one standout reintroduction.

Included among the ICONS collection are PH Artichoke, PH 5, PH 80, Panthella, PH 3/2 Table and the AJ Floor. Each of these constitutes an exciting chance to (re)discover iconic lighting design. The PH 3/2 Table Lamp, for example, traces its heritage back to 1927 and is based on Poul Henningsen’s renowned three-shade-system, which later led to hundreds of lamp designs.

Designed by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen for St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, the AJ Oxford Table Lamp is a reintroduction that packs an architectural punch. The 1960s project was an important work of modernism and Jacobsen designed the lamp as an integrated part of the whole, in fact as part of a gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art. The opportunity to partake of such an iconic design doesn’t come around too often.

With the AJ Oxford Table Lamp, the stem becomes the stand while the cord continues the visual line and the sculptural shade balances the overall expression. This newly reintroduced product will be available in two different heights, with or without the metal top shade. Elegant and functional, it’s designed to provide charismatic lighting in every part of the home.

Moving from modernism to the decidedly modern, Danish designer Øivind Slaatto has created the Patera in Ø300 for this year’s collection. It’s a new take on the crystal chandelier and, with its smaller size, it fits perfectly in low-ceilinged spaces such as a children’s room or bedroom. Structure is the defining feature of the design with the product made up of small glowing diamond-shaped cells whose arrangement has been based on the Fibonacci sequence. Each cell is designed to capture and reflect light at the very same time as shielding it.

“It was an extremely mathematical assignment. In fact, it’s the most complex light I have ever made,” says Slaatto. “I think it has a certain kind of poetry to it — I hope people will feel inspired to move around it. I hope it generates life.”

The lighting excellence doesn’t stop indoors either. AJ Garden Bollard, with its minimalistic and distinct shape, is designed for outdoors and was inspired by Jacobsen’s love for gardening and botany. At the house in Copenhagen where he lived from 1951 until his death in 1971, Jacobsen designed a notable garden filled with diverse and exotic plants. The AJ Garden Bollard is based on his AJ Lamp series, originally part of another gesamtkunstwerk at the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (Radisson Collection).

There are three different ways of installing the AJ Garden Bollard, which makes it possible to place the fixture in almost any location. Spike mounting, for example, allows for simple self-installation with a standard plug-and-play solution where the spike is pushed directly into the ground.

Louis Poulsen continues to honour the traditions and iconic high points of Danish design. Form indeed continues to follow function and the ICONS collection celebrate the (re)discoveries.

We think you might like this story on Louis Poulsen’s newest mono store in Taichung