Louis Poulsen PH Centenary Editions | ScandinavianDesign.com

Louis Poulsen has expanded its PH Centenary Collection with two new additions: the PH 3/3 Pendant and the PH 2/2 Wall Lamp. Both designs combine amber-coloured upper shades with opal white lower shades, producing a warm, atmospheric glow above while directing soft, glare-free light downward. With their refined material expression and comfortable illumination, the two lamps are aimed at high-end residential interiors.

The design

Both the PH 3/3 Pendant and the PH 2/2 Wall Lamp honour the legacy of Poul Henningsen, built on the three-shade System PH he invented in 1926. The mathematical principle behind the system allowed Henningsen to develop hundreds of lamp variations, each engineered for glare-free, high-quality light suited to a specific purpose.

Both fixtures are classified as “whole size” lamps, prized for their compact, glare-free character. The PH 3/3 Pendant has a top shade of roughly 30 cm, while the PH 2/2 Wall Lamp’s top shade measures around 20 cm — in both cases, the middle and lower shades follow the 3:2:1 proportion at the heart of System PH. Because whole-size lamps are especially glare-free, they work well mounted high in a room, where they combine high-quality lighting with a warm ambience.

The PH 3/3 Pendant carries a suspension based on the design first used in 1926, with decorative thumbscrews that allow the light source to be adjusted for optimal positioning within the shades. A dark brown textile cord on both the pendant and the wall lamp reinforces the vintage character, offering a contemporary interpretation of System PH’s 100-year heritage.

Materials and construction

Both the PH 3/3 Pendant and the PH 2/2 Wall Lamp are crafted in aged brass, carefully lacquered to preserve the patina. Each fixture carries three shades: a mouth-blown, four-layered Amber upper glass shade and mouth-blown, three-layered White Opal lower glass shades. All shades are glossy on the outside and sandblasted matte white on the inside — a combination that produces a warm, ambient upward light while keeping the downward light soft, diffused and glare-free. On the wall lamp, the upward light also washes the surrounding wall surface.

Designer

Poul Henningsen (1894–1967) developed System PH in 1926, the mathematical lighting principle underpinning the PH 3/3 and PH 2/2, along with hundreds of other lamp designs produced by Louis Poulsen over the following century.

About Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting manufacturer with a design history dating back to its collaboration with Poul Henningsen in the 1920s. The PH Centenary Collection marks 100 years since the introduction of System PH, extending Henningsen’s original three-shade principle into new formats for contemporary interiors.