Product Spotlight
The PH 5 Opal is Louis Poulsen's new version of the PH 5, the pendant Poul Henningsen created in 1958. Its shades are made in a glossy opal acrylic that is slightly translucent, so the pendant gives a soft, ambient light around the glare-free light it casts downward.
The PH 5 Opal is a compact pendant, 12.6" across, in four colours: Opal White, Opal Pale Rose, Opal Pale Blue and Opal Beige.
The PH 5 Opal in all four colours. Tap a dot to shop that colour.
Glossy Opal Acrylic in Four Colours
The shades and the anti-glare disc are glossy opal acrylic, and the shades have a white inner side. The material is slightly translucent, which gives the pendant its opalescent look.
The design is inspired by the classic PH opal glass shades. The PH 2/1 Table Lamp and the PH 3/2 Glass Table Lamp both have shades of three-layered opal glass.
Henningsen's Three-Shade System
The first lamp built on Poul Henningsen's three-shade system, made with Louis Poulsen for the Paris exhibition in 1925, won gold. He created the PH 5 in 1958 to take any bulb, at a time when incandescent bulbs kept changing shape and size and each change risked glare.
Like the PH 5, the PH 5 Opal is a pyramid-like fixture that sends light downward and to the sides and illuminates itself, so the light is soft and glare-free. Because its shades are translucent, they also add a soft, diffused light that spreads an even brightness in every direction.
The PH 5 Family by Size
The PH 5 Opal measures 12.6" in diameter and 6.8" high. It hangs from a 144" cable and takes one A-15 medium-base bulb.
It is close in size to the PH 5 Mini, at 11.8", and the PH 5 measures 19.5". The PH 5 and PH 5 Mini have spun metal shades; the PH 5 Opal's are glossy opal acrylic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PH 5 Opal made of?
The shades and the anti-glare disc are acrylic, also known as PMMA. The shades are glossy opal with a white inner side. The spacers are polycarbonate and the socket holder is aluminum.
How big is the PH 5 Opal?
It measures 12.6" in diameter and 6.8" high, and hangs from a 144" cable. It is close in size to the PH 5 Mini, at 11.8" in diameter, and the PH 5 measures 19.5".
What colours does the PH 5 Opal come in?
Four: Opal White, Opal Pale Rose, Opal Pale Blue and Opal Beige. Each has a white inner side, and the size, materials and construction are the same in every colour.
What bulb does the PH 5 Opal take?
One A-15 bulb with a medium base, recommended at 3.4W. The bulb is not included with the pendant.
How is the PH 5 Opal different from the PH 5 and the PH 5 Mini?
The material and the light. The PH 5 and the PH 5 Mini have spun metal shades. The PH 5 Opal has glossy opal acrylic shades, which add a soft, diffused light to the glare-free light directed downward.
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