Contract Magazine - January/February 2019 - 113

The Light + Building trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany, features the newest lighting
products from around the world. For its booth at the show held this past March,
manufacturer Louis Poulsen wanted its offerings to be presented in a unique setting
that was more than just a simple cluster of lamps on pedestals.
But it was not an easy task to create a comprehensive display that would
catch the eyes of the more than 220,000 visitors exploring the maze of halls during
this six-day event. To realize its vision, Louis Poulsen partnered with the team
from Henning Larsen, a firm that has celebrated the idea that light is an essential
component of architecture for more than 50 years. This was a perfect collaboration
between two companies that place luminosity at the heart of every design.
"Both Louis Poulsen's and Henning Larsen's work is rooted in the Danish
philosophy that form should follow function," says Finn Jensen, visual concept and
merchandising manager for Louis Poulsen. The manufacturer requested an immersive
installation in which attendees could actually experience light-not just see it-
in a variety of cubes as they moved through each section of the space. "With
Humans, Light, Rhythm, we wanted to demonstrate the extent to which we can
shape our physical environment and the ambience of our surroundings with light,"
Jensen explains.
For the designers, the idea of evening radiance was the starting point.
"We were inspired by the city at night, when the light from the houses breaks through
the openings of the facades and makes a pattern in the darkness of the street,"
says Signe Blomquist, head of interior and workspace design.
Henning Larsen's life-size model of a modern city was created to evoke the
feeling of living and working in a bustling center. It wasn't a literal interpretation with
detailed representations of buildings, people, or cars, but instead a contemporary
grouping that captured the interplay of light and shadow in a pure white environment.
"The 'city'-the houses, squares, and spaces-provided different experiences
and focused on our different product categories," Jensen says.
To achieve a design that would illuminate each sector effectively,
the architects chose to work with perforated steel panels that transformed beams
of light into decorative elements. "The thickness of the metal we selected was
perfect in terms of creating sharp shadows and patterns through the perforations,"
Blomquist explains.
Having visitors interact with light while still remaining focused on the items
on view was a challenge-one that was remedied by balancing the levels of brightness
and keeping the fixtures sectioned off, thus ensuring that there wouldn't be any
distractions from nearby booths. As Blomquist notes, "We wanted to dim and control
the light to create a feeling of rhythm. It was a strong way of communicating the
concept, and it increased people's curiosity. By making closed areas for the different
categories, we embraced all of the products by Louis Poulsen, and we were still
able to make it a structured exhibition space."

The Louis Poulsen team believes that the exhibition showcase was
a success because it gave people an unexpected trade show experience, allowing
them to engage with and think about design in a new way. "We invited visitors
to examine how thoughtful illumination can enhance the way we live today,"
Jensen says. c

Project Credits

Selected Sources

Architect and interior designer
Henning Larsen
Henning Larsen project team
Lou Marie Charrier, architect;
Anders Brøgger, Architect; Sarah Müllertz,
partner; Signe Blomquist, head of interior
and workspace design
Contractor, engineering, and graphics
AMBIENTE
Lighting Louis Poulsen

Wallcoverings, paint, laminate,
walls, flooring, and ceilings AMBIENTE
Recessed, track and task lighting
Louis Poulsen
Floor/table lamps and pendants/
chandeliers Louis Poulsen
Lounge/reception seating Daybed,
Beck Foxy Potato
Other seating Stool, Naive, Emko
Cafeteria/dining tables, reception
desk, and other tables designed
by Henning Larsen

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