Louis Poulsen Unispot Lamp

Louis Poulsen Unispot lamp 1968 design white plastic spotlight lampshade aluminium reflector Denmark E27 socket

Louis Poulsen Unispot lamp 1968 design white & black plastic spotlight lampshade aluminium reflector Denmark E27 socket

Louis Poulsen Unispot Lamp – Catalogue Picture

Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting manufacturer with roots going back to 1874, when Ludvig R. Poulsen started a business in Copenhagen. The company later shifted from general trading into tools, electrical supplies and, eventually, lighting. In 1896 his nephew Louis Poulsen joined the firm, and after Ludvig’s death in 1906 Louis continued the business. In 1911 Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen became a partner and the company name changed to Louis Poulsen & Co A/S; in 1917 Kaastrup-Olsen became the sole owner.

A key turning point came in the 1920s with the long collaboration with Poul Henningsen (PH). His work on glare-free lighting and shade systems became central to the company’s identity and strongly influenced modern lighting design. Since then, Louis Poulsen has continued to collaborate with architects and designers, producing both classic catalogue models and large-scale architectural lighting for public buildings.

Designers

The most famous designer associated with Louis Poulsen is Poul Henningsen (PH), followed by major Danish and international names such as Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Vilhelm Lauritzen and Vilhelm Wohlert.

In later years Louis Poulsen also worked with a wide range of designers and studios, including Alfred Homann, Louise Campbell, Øivind Slaatto, Andreas Hansen, Eila & John Meiling, Henning Klok, Axel Wedel Madsen, Jørgen Bo, Ole Valdemar Kjær, Christian Flindt, Clara von Zweigbergk, nendo (Oki Sato), Olafur Eliasson, Jens Møller-Jensen, GamFratesi, Bent Gantzel-Boysen, Anne Boysen and many others.

Materials: Round metal (iron) wall or ceiling mount with a white plastic lid. Aluminium lampshade holder. Adjustable white plastic lampshade. Aluminium reflector. Some metal and plastic parts. Porcelain E27 socket.

Height: 30 cm / 11.81”

Width: ∅ 15 cm / 5.90”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Bent Gantzel-Boysen in 1971.

Manufacturer: Louis Poulsen & Co A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Other versions: The Louis Poulsen Unispot lamp exists in several colours and variations, as shown here. This spotlight is model 48500, also known as Lillebror (“little brother”). The Unispot lamp series received an iF Design Award in 1972.

The first Unispot was produced in black. In 1972, white, red and yellow were added to the range. A smaller version, later named Lillebror, was introduced afterwards.

The Louis Poulsen Unispot lamp is described in detail in the reference book Danish Lights – 1920 to Now.

Bent Gantzel-Boysen

Bent Gantzel-Boysen was head of Louis Poulsen’s design team during the 1970s. In this role, he was responsible for several important designs, including the IT series from 1972 and the PH 80 table and floor lamps, drawn in 1974 to commemorate the 80th birthday of Poul Henningsen (1894–1967). He also designed the LamPetit table lamp in 1966.

The design of the LamPetit lamp is often incorrectly attributed to Verner Panton. More information about this lamp can be found here.

Later in the 1970s, Gantzel-Boysen continued his career by designing lamps for IKEA through his own firm. One of his more striking designs from this period is the Duett pendant lamp from 1983, featuring six coloured metal shades. He designed lamps for IKEA between 1979 and 1987. More information about the Duett pendant lamp can be found here.