Light work: Louis Poulsen opens a two-storey showroom in Copenhagen

Danish lighting brand Louis Poulsen has opened a 300 sq m showroom over two floors of its airy six-storey HQ in the heart of Copenhagen. Created by the in-house design team and stylist Lene Eriksen, the concept is to showcase Louis Poulsen products old and new in different settings, highlighting their ability to blend into environments that range from the traditional, corporate and minimalist, to the eclectic, contemporary and domestic.

Placed in scenarios such as a lounge, a kitchen or a study, Poul Henningsen’s instantly recognisable 'PH-5' and 'Artichoke' lights from the 1950s and Arne Jacobsen’s 'AJ' table and floor lights (designed by Jacobsen in 1960 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen) appear as harmonious and timeless as ever.

The same ‘lifestyle’ treatment is given to more recent products, such as Louise Campbell’s laser-cut 'Collage' pendants, which hang in rose, white, green and blue versions in a recreated bathroom replete with vintage bathtub. The company’s latest release, the intricate 'Patera' pendant light by Øivind Slaatto, is placed elegantly over a long dining table, while products that never quite got their due – such as the bulbous matte white 'Wohlert' and 'Moser' pendants – are given their chance to shine as they hang in stylish clusters over a cushion-laden bed.

The design of the showroom incorporates furniture and homewares by high-end Danish brands such as Hästens, Fritz Hansen and Carl Hansen. 'But you also see the lights presented alongside pieces by more affordable or lesser-known Danish design companies such as House Doctor, Hay, Massive Douglas, Skagerak and Plain Craft,' says international marketing director Claus Østergaard. Wallpapers by local artist and decorative painter Heidi Zilmer adorn the walls, some featuring hand-gilded gold-leaf Danish design icons, others graphic pixellated patterns.

Next year promises to be a big one for the historic brand. It will open two new showrooms – one in Los Angeles and one in Oslo – and launch three new pendants by one French and two Danish designers that, by all accounts, mark quite a departure for a firm often better known for its classics than its new pieces. 'The classics are an important part of our history,' Østergaard acknowledges, 'and allow us to earn the money to invest in new products. If you look at the way our classic lights are used however… I prefer the term "forever modern".' A wander round the brand’s new Copenhagen showroom proves his point aptly – every lamp, pendant or chandelier seems quintessentially of the moment.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Louis Poulsen’s website

ADDRESS

Louis Poulsen
Gammel Strand 28
1202 Copenhagen

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