Beginning in the mid-1920s, architect and designer Poul Henningsen began designing light fixtures. In the early years, he developed scientific studies and theories concerning the quality of light that would greatly influence his designs. One of his most famous, the PH “Artichoke” Lamp, became immediately popular, gracing the lobby spaces of public buildings in Denmark as well as the interiors of private homes and businesses, as it still does today.

Henningsen’s theories center on the ideas that light must not blind; there must be soft transitions between the lighted and shaded areas of a lighting fixture; and designs must correct the color of light. By 1958, when he designed the PH "Artichoke" Lamp for the Langeline Pavilion Restaurant in Copenhagen, he had perfected his goal of achieving harmony in light. The lamp's graduated tiers of copper and enameled metal shades wrap around a central light core. They emit a warm glow, thereby changing the nature and softening the volume of light.