Poul Henningsen

An architect and designer from Denmark, Poul Henningsen (1894–1967) actually never graduated as an architect, though he studied at a technical school and a university-level institution. Early in his career he worked with functionalist architecture, but he quickly switched focus to lighting. Broadening his horizons, he also became a journalist and author.

Poul Henningsen is most famous for his collaboration with Louis Poulsen starting in 1925 and continuing for the rest of his life. Even today Louis Poulsen utilises his masterful work. Henningsen produced revolutionary theories on lighting with a strong focus on the relationships between light structures, luminance, shadows, and colour rendering and the human need for lighting. His theory sees use to this day. Henningsen himself brought it to bear to create world-renowned classics of design, such as the 100-percent glare-free PH 5 and PH Artichoke, also known as Kotten, “the pinecone”.