Poul Henningsen developed this light in 1958 in response to constant changes to the shape and size of incandescent bulbs by bulb manufacturers. At the introduction, Poul Henningsen wrote the following: “After 33 years of basically Christian behavior I have converted to Islam in my relationship to the manufacture of incandescent bulbs. For a generation, I have believed that consideration for the consumer and common sense would prevail, but now I have become a fatalist. I have accepted fate, and with Louis Poulsen´s permission, I have designed a PH fixture that can be used with any kind of light source, Christmas lights, and 100 W metal-filament bulbs. Although a fluorescent tube would be too much to ask in the existing form!”.
The PH 5 was introduced as a classic new product, and no one knew at the time that it would eventually become synonymous with the PH light. Irrespective of how the light is installed or the light source used, the PH 5 is and remains completely glare-free. The fixture was christened PH 5 due to the 50 cm diameter of the main shade. Poul Henningsen wanted to improve the color reproduction characteristics of the light source in the PH 5. Small red and blue shades were therefore inserted to supplement the color in the part of the spectrum where the eye is least sensitive – the red and blue areas – thereby subduing the light in the middle yellow-green region where the eye is most sensitive. The light fixture's design has been regularly updated as light sources have developed.
W 500mm x H 267mm x L 500mm, 2.1 kg