Louis Poulsen VL38 Table Lamp by Vilhelm Lauritzen

About the Item

About This Product The VL38 table lamp was originally designed in the late 1930s by Vilhelm Lauritzen in partnership with Louis Poulsen for the construction of the Radiohuset building (the Danish broadcasting house) in Copenhagen (today the Royal Danish Academy of Music). Vilhelm Lauritzen’s lamp design, VL38 and the pendant VL45 both designed for Radiohuset, started to appear in Louis Poulsen catalogues after World War 2 in the middle of the 1940s. VL38 in white/brass was relaunched in fall 2016. To accommodate contemporary advances in light technology and energy efficiency the fixtures have been fitted with LED. The black edition of the VL38 introduced fall 2017 has a stronger outline than the original white version, though maintaining the loved retro look and the soft, curvy expression of the original design. Light concept The fixture emits downward directed light. The angle of the shade can be adjusted to optimize light distribution. The shade is painted white on the inside to ensure a soft comfortable light. Light source LED 2700K 9.6W Lumen: 416 Mounting: Cord type: White or black. Cord length: 10’. Switch: High/low/off switch on the base. LED driver: Separate, plugs into power outlet. Material: Base: Die cast aluminum Shade: Spun aluminum. Stem: Brushed brass. Class: cULus, Dry location.

Creator:
Vilhelm Lauritzen (Designer),Louis Poulsen (Manufacturer)
Design:
VL38 Table LampVL38 Series
Dimensions:
Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Diameter: 6.9 in (17.53 cm)
Style:
Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Metal
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
21st Century
Date of Manufacture:
Contemporary
Production Type:
New & Custom(Current Production)
Estimated Production Time:
Available NowAvailable Now
Condition:
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
57441623225744163211
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Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen is world-renowned as an innovator in modern Danish lighting, but this wasn’t the goal from the start. Founded in 1874 by Ludvig R. Poulsen as a wine importer, the business went through several incarnations before its first pendant lights came to fruition. Through its designs, the company helped establish the foundations of good lighting — function, comfort and ambience — that are now standard in modern furniture design.

In 1924, Danish architect Poul Henningsen partnered with Louis Poulsen & Co., then an electrical supply company, to create what’s now known as the Paris lamp. This design, which incorporated three layers of curved metal disks, created ambience with its indirect light instead of glare. Shown at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris — the exhibition that brought Art Deco design to worldwide attention — the Paris lamp was awarded a gold medal. This led to Poulsen and Henningsen working together on several lighting pieces, including the popular PH pendant light with its concentric shades for the Forum Building in Copenhagen. These high-profile projects helped make Louis Poulsen a go-to purveyor of innovative lighting design.

One of the company’s most well-known lamps is Henningsen’s PH Artichoke lamp (1958), with its 72 copper leaves artfully placed to conceal the light bulb, prevent glare and promote a warm, alluring glow in any room. Another is the steel and die-cast zinc AJ lamp (1960), which Arne Jacobsen designed with an adjustable angled shade for his commission for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The company has also worked with notables such as Verner Panton and Alfred Homann as well as, more recently, Louise Campbell and Oki Sato.

In 2010, the company was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Honors in Collaborative Achievement Award; it was the first lighting manufacturer to receive this honor. In 2018, the company was acquired by an investment subsidiary of Investindustrial VI L.P. Still headquartered in Denmark, the brand continues to produce its high-end lighting for both indoor and outdoor use, manufacturing both classic icons as well as new designs. “We design to shape light,” states Louis Poulsen. In doing so, they have also shaped culture.

Find a range of new and vintage Louis Poulsen floor lamps, table lamps and other lighting and furniture on 1stDibs.