For years, Sigurd Larsen walked straight through Aarhus City Hall, a striking building designed by Arne Jacobsen, on his way to school as a teenager in Denmark. Now an architect himself, the AJ lamp provides a sense of familiarity in his cool Berlin home, where Louis Poulsen showcases the new AJ Brass edition.
Sigurd Larsen and AJ
Sigurd Larsen is highly inspired by Danish design history in his work as an architect. Not unlike Arne Jacobsen, he designs buildings and bespoke interiors across Europe from his base in Germany.
In his home in Kreuzberg, Berlin, the AJ lamp fits in perfectly, serving as more than just a source of great lighting. It carries a deeper meaning:
“My father had the AJ lamp in his office, and I remember that the dentist and the principal had it as well. Later, I distanced myself from it, but then I realised it was a totem. It’s an icon that evokes a sense of familiarity, like design classics tend to do.”
Why great lighting matters
Here comes the sun
One of Sigurd Larsen's favourite topics in architecture is daylight. He explains how Scandinavians' appreciation of high-quality lighting is influenced by the transition between night and day, which is much slower compared to Southern Europe:
“In Southern Europe, the day transitions to night in about thirty minutes or so, prompting you to turn on a bright light in the middle of the room to mimic the sharp daylight.
In Denmark we carefully stage our long, slow transition between day and night, where one little lamp gets turned on after the other.”
"Incorporating brass into the AJ lamp design adds warmth, making it ideal for classic environments."
Our design heritage
A welcoming home
Because of the climate, people in Denmark tend to spend more time indoors.
According to Sigurd Larsen, they use their homes as social spaces more and like them to be nice and welcoming. In winter, when it gets dark around 3 pm, artificial lighting becomes especially important:
"Rather than combating darkness by illuminating everything, we choose to embrace it and create a cosy atmosphere.
I believe this appreciation of darkness as a contrast to light has influenced the design of lamps in Denmark. Several of our most iconic lamp designs have been in use since the invention of the light bulb."
