He also expanded his field of occupation into areas of writing, becoming a journalist and an author. For a short period at the beginning of WWII, he was the head architect of the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. But like many other creative people, he was forced to flee Denmark during the German occupation but soon became a vital part of the Danish colony of artists living in Sweden.
His lifelong collaboration with Louis Poulsen began in 1925 and lasted until his death. To this day, Louis Poulsen still benefits from his genius. Poul Henningsen was also the first editor of the company magazine “NYT”. The CEO of Louis Poulsen at the time, Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen, gave the magazine to PH as a gift because he had been terminated from the Danish newspaper he worked for (his opinions were too radical).
Poul Henningsen's pioneering work concerning the relations between light structures, shadows, glare, and color reproduction—compared to man’s need for light remains the fondation of the lighting theories still practiced by Louis Poulsen.
Henningsen’s 125th birthday
On the occasion of Henningsen’s 125th birthday, we celebrate not only the collection of iconic luminaires thatis his physical legacy but also his wider impact on the way we think about designing for the human experience, in lighting and beyond.
To commemorate the 125th birthday of the master of light, Louis Poulsen is releasing a selection of beloved PH classics in new editions: the PH Artichoke, PH 5, and PH three shade glass lamp.