Louis Poulsen

Heritage

Louis Poulsen's story began in Copenhagen in 1874, when Ludvig Poulsen founded Kjøbenhavns Direkte Vin Import Kompagni, a wine importer. As electricity arrived in the city the company turned to lighting, and by 1892 it was selling lighting and electrical supplies. Ludvig's nephew Louis Poulsen joined in 1896, and in 1914 the firm became Louis Poulsen & Co.

Philosophy

The company's design philosophy took shape in 1924, when it began working with Poul Henningsen. His scientific approach – "to make lighting cleaner, more economical, and more beautiful" – produced the glare-free PH lamp, which won gold at the 1925 Paris Exposition and still defines the brand's balance of light, form and function.

Iconic Works

• PH 5 (Poul Henningsen, 1958) and the PH Artichoke (1958)
• AJ lamps by Arne Jacobsen, designed for the SAS Royal Hotel from 1960
• Panthella by Verner Panton (1969)

Today

Since 2014 Louis Poulsen has released a three-month limited edition of a Henningsen design every year, and it works with designers such as Nendo, GamFratesi, Øivind Slaatto and Clara von Zweigbergk. Recent launches include the PH Pale Rose collection and the VL Studio collection after Vilhelm Lauritzen (both 2022). The company is headquartered in Copenhagen and sells worldwide.