In 1958, Poul Henningsen designed the PH 5, in response to the constant changes that manufacturers were introducing in the size and shape of incandescent bulbs, and named it based on the diameter of the main shade of this suspension lamp: 50 centimeters. True to his controversial style, when the lamp was launched on the market, he wrote down his crisis of faith towards the producers of incandescent light bulbs, from whom he did not expect to learn to show common sense or consideration towards the client: "I have given up destination and, with the permission of Louis Poulsen, I have designed a PH luminaire that can be used with all types of light sources, Christmas lights and 100W metal filament bulbs. Although, in its current form, a fluorescent tube would be too much to ask!” At the time, no one knew that PH 5 would become a benchmark in the PH legacy, and as such it remains a fully glare-free product, regardless of how it is installed or the light source used.

Today, the PH 5 continues to bring a leap of elegance to the most modern interior spaces, just like the PH 5 Mini with its 30-plus screen, launched in the wake of Poul Henningsen in 2017. Louis Poulsen aspires to put at the service of a contemporary and creative lifestyle, and as such it adapted the size of this famous suspension lamp for the first time. In 2020, we launched the monochrome PH 5 Mini series to highlight its striking design and give it a more contemporary look. The metallic screens covered in matt paint come in black, white and ultra blue to delight the most daring decorators.