Poul Christiansen
"I believe that design is all about making the world a better place in the short-term and in the long-term too. The impetus for my design work is the joy and satisfaction that comes from finding new ways and being creative. My work for Le Klint has been inspired by the company’s unique key competency: pleating in paper. I have tried to transcend some of the barriers for the sculptural shapes you can create simply by pleating."
VIEW ALL PRODUCTSArchitect, MAA, MDD, 1947
Poul Christiansen trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture.
He worked in architecture and design for Ib & Jørgen Rasmussen from 1977 to 1986 and founded “Komplot Design” together with Boris Berlin in 1987.
Between 1969 and 1987 Poul Christiansen brought innovative and exciting dimensions to Le Klint’s lampshades. Prior to his involvement the shades had been folded in pleats and in straight lines across the pleats. Poul Christiansen discovered that folding in mathematical curves gave the lampshades beautiful and unique sculptural shapes.
His most famous creation is the SinusLine series which he developed by combining sine curves in such a way that they formed a lampshade when folded.
Poul Christiansen continues to design new lamps for Le Klint and in 2006 he designed wall lamp model 215 – allegedly inspired by the Sydney Opera House. Later in 2008 this lamp was introduced in a moulded plastic version for outdoor use.
Over the years Poul Christiansen has designed a number of Le Klint lamps and in the mid 2000 he evolved the soft folded curves to the creation of the Elysion light sculptures. These lights are hand-folded from one sheet of lampshade foil and thus represent genuine craftsmanship like other lampshades made by Le Klint. The Elysion light sculpture is also available in an outdoor version.