Lyfa Konkylie Pendant Lamp

Materials: 12 folded anodised oval metal (aluminium) spiral slats lampshade. Some metal parts. Bakelite E27 socket.

Cord Length: 120 cm / 47.24”

Height: 40 cm / 15.74”

Width: ∅ 40 cm / 15.74”

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.

Designers: Louis Weisdorf in 1964.

Manufacturer: Lyfa, Ryesgade 28, 2tv, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Other versions: This Lyfa Konkylie pendant lamp was made in many colours.

Louis Weisdorf

Louis Weisdorf was born on 29 March 1932 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Kunstakademiets Arkitektskole) from 1949 to 1954.

Louis Weisdorf became architect and industrial designer. In the early part of his career, he worked for the renowned Danish architects Verner Panton, Poul Henningsen and Simon Henningsen, Poul’s son. 

Weisdorf is best known for his lamp designs, his tiling pattern called Fisken and his contribution to the architecture of the amusement park Tivoli in Copenhagen. His best known lamps include Conch, Multi-Lite, Ekko,Facet,Delfinen, Tulipanen  and Turbo.

He created the Konkylie (conch) pendant lamp in 1964 for the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The anodised gold lamps hung from trees throughout the gardens until very recently.

Louis Weisdorf became independent in 1967 with a design studio on Gammel Strand in Copenhagen. Weisdorf passed away 9 January 2021.

Lyfa

Lyfa was founded in 1924 under the name of Københavns Lampe Og Lysekronefabrik (Copenhagen Lamp And Chandelier Factory).
In 1930 the company was renamed into Lyfaca. They began producing table lamps inspired by the PH lights designed by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen & CO A/S. After the Second World War the company collaborated with leading architects and designers to produce minimalist and sculptural Space Age lights. The company received numerous awards.

Designers that worked for the company are: Louis Weisdorf, Bent Karlby, Michael Andersen, Acton Bjørn, Claus Bonderup, Piet Hein, Klaus Helweg-Larsen, Simon Henningsen, Finn Juhl, Nils Koppel, Eva Koppel and of course Carl Fagerlund via Orrefors.

In the late 1970s Lyfa merged with Fog & Mørup, another leading Danish lighting producer. In the 1980s Lyfa-Fog & Mørup was taken over by Lyskær. The name changed to Lyskaer-Lyfa.

Lyskaer-Lyfa

Lyskaer-Lyfa produced lamps until 1991 when it was incorporated into Horn Belysning A/S of Aalstrup. Horn itself was taken over in 2005 by Nordlux of Ålborg and at a large extent dismantled. Today the Lyfa company has revived and they sell some of their old icons.

Other lamps

Other lamps with metal slats were designed by Max Sauze, Werner Schou, Verner Panton, Henri Mathieu, Eva Renée Nele, Niels Esmann & Hans C. Jensen, Henning Rehhof and many others.