PH Artichoke Gold

Louis Poulsen PH Artichoke Gold 50th Anniversary Edition

Louis Poulsen celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Poul Henningsen PH Artichoke and is as fashionable as never before. Louis Poulsen celebrates the anniversary by offering 50 units of the largest PH Artichoke with leaves gilded in 24-carat gold.

The Louis Poulsen PH Artichoke Gold 50th Anniversary Editio is a glare-free light which is soon to be a sought after collector’s piece. Louis Poulsen will only have 50 limited editions, each one of them numbered. The iconic light was designed by Poul Henningsen and was first created 40 years ago. This gold version of the PH Artichoke is the anniversary edition and is only made in a 840mm diameter version.

The Louis Poulsen PH Artichoke Gold 50th Anniversary Edition is made with 72 leaves placed on 12 steel arches and the light source is not visible from any angle. Pretty, cool! With a high lustre finish, it is first made in copper. The leaves which measure at 6×12 are superfinished and covered in 24 carat gold, then coated in a clear varnish. This lamp is really a piece of art. A chrome plated, spun aluminum lampholder and canopy are also available for the light. The PH Artichoke will have a retail price of upwards $100,000.00 (yes, that is no error, it will be over $100K) and for now it will be only be sold by Louis Poulsen.

Originally, PH Artichoke was made for the Langeliniepavillonen restaurant at the Copenhagen waterfront, in which place visitors can still delight in the fixtures while enjoying a view of the Little Mermaid. Poul Henningsen was commissioned to create festive, warm lighting for the restaurant, and, even unlit, the fixtures should be decorative. The first PH Artichokes were made in copper, the classic version, which has remained in the Louis Poulsen range ever since.

PH Artichoke Gold adds an utterly new dimension to the fixture. Where the copper version appears with a brushed, slightly matt surface, the anniversary version has a high-lustre finish. The lustrous finish gives PH Artichoke Gold a graphic, exact idiom. At the same time, the gold finish intensifies and augments the warm, pleasant light distribution of the fixture.

The leaves of PH Artichoke Gold are first made in copper. The gilding process requires a shiny, flawless surface, and the 6 x 12 leaves are superfinished before being gilded. The gilding itself is a catalytic process where the leaves are immersed into chemically pure gold. An accurately controlled current is sent through the leaf, and the pure gold precipitates cathodically to the surface of the copper. As the final touch, the leaves are coated in clear varnish. The inner leaves are also gilded, but subsequently painted white to ensure optimum light distribution and illumination of the fixture itself. PH Artichoke Gold comes with a lampholder unit in high-lustre chrome-plated, spun aluminium. The fixture comes with a canopy.

PH Artichoke Gold should be experienced, not just described. The fixture is unique – a phenomenal tribute on a 50th anniversary. PH Artichoke Gold will be presented at a number of international events during 2008. It will be showcased at the elegant Palazzo Madama in Turin, Italy, from 24 June to 6 July on the occasion of the UIA World Congress of Architecture. In September, it will be on display in Copenhagen.

PH Artichoke Gold is only sold by Louis Poulsen Lighting in Copenhagen. Please call or email International Business Development Manager, Sune Arvad Kristensen, Louis Poulsen Lighting, tel. +45 22 61 74 35, e-mail: sak@lpmail.com.

http://www.louispoulsen.com