The pendant emits a glare-free, downward-directed light while illuminating its own frame, thereby creating a soft and pleasant radiance of light from the center of the pendant. Poul Henningsen designed the PH 5 in 1958 as a reaction to the constant changes in the shape and size of incandescent bulbs by manufacturers at that time, which Henningsen considered completely senseless. The PH 5 accommodated all types of light sources with its pleasant light. This made the PH 5 so famous that it later became synonymous with 'PH light', which to this day still enhances even the most modern interiors. Henningsen had a scientific approach to lighting and continued to design fixtures based on the three-shade system he invented in 1925 to create excellent, glare-free light. He used the logarithmic spiral as a foundation, achieving a very uniform light distribution with the three-shade system, which made it possible to control both glare and shadows. Each PH lamp number refers to the size of the lamp's shades. The PH 5 is equipped with a top shade of approximately 50 cm in diameter.