PH 3½-3 Pendant

The PH 3½-3 Glass Pendant is part of Poul Henningsen's three-shade system, developed in 1926. Built on a logarithmic spiral for glare-free, even light, its mouth-blown three-layer opal glass shades — glossy on top, sandblasted matte underneath — give soft, uniform illumination.

Poul Henningsen (1894–1967) arrived at the System PH through years of methodical experiments with reflection angles, publishing his findings as he went — a designer who worked as much with curves on paper as with glass and metal. The 1926 system placed every shade on a logarithmic spiral with the bulb at its focal point, so the angle of reflection stays constant across the shade and no direct light reaches the eye. In the PH 3½-3, a 35 cm top shade is combined with lower shades from the 3 size group, all mouth-blown in three-layer opal glass at full size. The dual surface treatment — glossy above, sandblasted below — is what gives the lamp its signature glow: crisp in profile, soft in effect, with a fraction of light passing through the glass to keep the whole form luminous.

The glass version of the PH 3½-3 suits rooms where the pendant is seen from many angles — over a dining table, in a stairwell or above a kitchen island — because the glowing shades look finished from every side. Hung around 50–60 cm above a table it delivers generous, glare-free light for meals and conversation alike. Its white glow blends easily with both pale Nordic interiors and darker, more dramatic rooms, and in compact apartments it adds light without visual weight. Browse more designer pendant lamps, explore the Louis Poulsen collection, or read our PH pendant buying guide.

Light source: E27 (E26 compatible), 1 bulb, max 75 W; dimmable with a dimmable bulb. IP20, indoor. Bulb not included — we recommend an E27 LED (1.6–7.5 W, 806 lm), 2700 K.