Poul Henningsen designed hundreds of lamps based on the three-shade-system he developed in 1926, enabling unequalled lighting quality for all types of needs. Many of his lamp designs include a number that refers to the shade sizes of each particular fixture. The PH 5/5 is described as a ‘whole’ sized pendant, characterised by its appealing compact semblance with the top shade of approximately 50 cm corresponding with the middle and lower shade in the proportions of 3:2:1. PH’s ‘whole’ sized fixtures are designed to be particularly glare-free and are therefore ideally placed high in a room, where it integrates great quality lighting with cosy ambience. The more widely known ‘hybrid’ sizes on the other hand, are designed to hang low and provide optimum lighting and a warm atmosphere e.g. above a table. Take for example the PH 3/2 with its 30 cm top shade in combination with the proportionally smaller lower shades from the PH 2/2. The ‘whole’ sized fixtures seem rounder than the slightly lighter ‘hybrid’ sizes, making room for a different expression while still being distinctly PH. In addition to the variation of shade sizes and their definition of the light quality and aesthetic of each fixture, Poul Henningsen’s rational lighting system also takes the materials and surfaces of the lampshades into consideration, in order to direct glare and shadow. In 1929, it combined beautiful and classic materials like copper and opal glass to further cater for lighting needs, ensuring the very highest quality of light. Today, the light characteristic of Poul Henningsen’s ‘whole’ sized PH 5/5 lifts contemporary interiors with its own special ray of elegant, modern Danish classic in any sizeable room at home, or by taking high-ceilinged commercial spaces like flagship stores, meeting rooms, restaurants, hotel rooms and lobbies, to new heights