…Mads Odgård, der betragtes som en ledende figur blandt danske
designere, etablerede sin designvirksomhed i 1988. Lige siden har han
demonstreret sin store kapacitet som formgiver af lamper,
bygningskomponenter, audiovisuelt udstyr, møbler, køkkenudstyr,
porcelæn, bestik og biler for en bred kundekreds blandt både danske og
udenlandske virksomheder. Odgård stiller store krav til sig selv og
mener, at produktdesign udelukkende har sin berettigelse, hvis det
forbedrer det, der allerede eksisterer, og hvis det giver brugeren en
spontan glæde.
»Jeg er tiltrukket af stort set alle typer af opgaver, men ikke mindst
belysning har altid interesseret mig meget. Mine øjne er meget
lysfølsomme, og især i vinterhalvåret i Danmark, når solen står lavt,
kan jeg opleve dagslyset som meget generende. På den tid af året
bruger skandinaver meget kunstlys, som det er vigtigt behandles
rigtigt,« siger Mads Odgård. Samarbejdet med Lous Poulsen blev indledt sidst i
80’erne og har dermed fungeret i nærved 28 år. Gennem årene har Odgård
tegnet flere indendørs armaturer, men især gadearmaturet Icon, som blev
lanceret i 2003 og senere udvidet til en serie, slog hans navn fast som
en af Louis Poulsens mest betydende designere. Endnu et gadearmatur fra
hans hånd, MO500, blev lanceret i 2008, og AL600, der er udviklet
specielt til belysning af tunneler, blev en del af sortimentet i 2010.
Ideen til “ICON” fik Mads Odgård ved at studere markedets eksisterende
gadelamper: »Det gik op for mig, at for langt de fleste gadelygter gælder det, at
du ikke kan se, hvor lyset kommer fra. Men når du kommer tættere på,
bliver du pludselig blændet. Mit krav til Icon var derfor, at dens
lysudsendelse skulle være identificerbar. Mit næste krav var, at lyset
fra lygten skulle svare til månens skær. Begge krav imødekommes af
Icons lysende overflade, som allerede på lang afstand afslører
lygtehovedets geometri og lysets nedadrettede karakter.«
Sideløbende med de udendørs armaturer har Mads Odgård altid arbejdet med
og været optaget af indendørs belysning. Og også her gælder det, at
lamperne skal være simple, men raffinerede. »Mange betragter mig som en minimalistisk designer. Selv vil jeg
nødigt sættes i kategori, men jeg vedstår, at jeg altid tilstræber, at
mine lamper – og andre produkter – opnår en enkelthed i udtrykket på
trods af eventuelle komplicerede funktioner. Jeg har altid været
bevidst om betydningen af at styre lyset. Ikke ved at dæmpe det eller
ved at anvende så mange skærme, at lyset hindres i at komme ud. I
stedet søger jeg at opnå en logisk lysudsendelse og en ærlig
udformning af armaturet. Samtidig er det lige så vigtigt i indendørs
belysning, at man fornemmer, hvor lysudsendelsen kommer fra, så man
ikke overraskes af blænding.«
»I udviklingen af “ABOVE” gav jeg mig selv den udfordring at skabe en
lampe, der rummer det hele i én form. Lyset skulle være både nedad- og
opadrettet, og selve formen skulle gerne have fat i ledningen,« fortæller Odgård. Bestræbelserne er lykkedes. Med sin klare,
geometriske kegleform fremstår Above grafisk præcis, og den
utraditionelt udformede top, der både fungerer som håndtag og reflektor,
tilfører lampen en forfriskende og uhøjtidelig appeal. Lampen udsender
et rigeligt nedadrettet lys, og det opadrettede lys rammer oversiden af
bueformen, hvorfra det reflekteres, så der opnås en elegantog diskret
markering af hele lampen.
ABOVE lanceres i fire størrelser og i hvid og sort. Skærmen er halvmat
på den ydre flade, mens indersiden har en anelse mere glans for at sikre
den helt rigtige refleksion af lyset. Hvis pendlen skal placeres over et
spisebord eller lignende steder er det nemt at montere den medfølgende,
matte plade oppe i skærmen, som forhindrer, at man kan se lyskilden. Den
mindste størrelse er velegnet flere sammen, eksempelvis over
køkkenborde. Stofledningen på både den sorte og den hvide udgave er sort
– som er den farve, ledninger ifølge Odgård bør have.
Above fremstår afklaret og enkel, men som bekendt ligger der oftest
mange overvejelser bag tilsyneladende simple produkter. »Den nye pendel udtrykker essensen af mit mantra:’Hvor enkelt vover du at designe?’
I designprocessen søger jeg altid at fjerne fremfor at tilføje, og
det giver mange fordele. Det muliggør for eksempel repetition, hvis
betydning jeg er blevet opmærksom på i mit arbejde med blandt andet
gadelamper og bestik. Det er afgørende, at også det negative rum, der
opstår mellem pendler på en stribe fungerer æstetisk. Dén test består
Above, der med sin ultraenkle geometri fint kan hænge tæt over borde i
restauranter eller på cafeer,« fortæller Odgård.
At udvikle belysningsarmaturer er både tidskrævende og kompliceret, og
Louis Poulsen tilstræber derfor at have langvarige samarbejder med
designere. Odgård er et godt eksempel på, hvor gavnligt det er for
designprocessen, at designeren kender virksomheden indefra: »Jeg har et indgående kendskab til Louis Poulsens idégrundlag og
filosofi og har gennem alle årene haft mange samtaler med sælgere,
produktions- og marketingfolk. Jeg kender virksomhedens
spidskompetencer og derfor kan derfor tænke både materialer og
produktionsmetoder på fabrikken i Vejen ind parallelt med den
tidligste formgivning. Allerede i udgangspunktet vidste jeg, at
pendlens skærme skulle udføres i aluminium, trykkes op i hånden og
dernæst pulverlakeres,« forklarer Odgård og afslutter med en sidste pointe: »Det er mit håb, at Above vil blive modtaget som en enkel,
underspillet lampe, der samtidigt udstråler poesi. Men hvis man ikke
bemærker den, men bare registrerer, at belysningen er behagelig og
tilstrækkelig, er er det også fint for mig. Funktionaliteten er
altafgørende!«
Text: Ida Præstegaard
Louis Poulsen News
...Mads Odgård, who is considered a leading figure among Danish
designers, established his design company in 1988. Ever since, he has
demonstrated his great capacity as a designer of lamps, building
components, audiovisual equipment, furniture, kitchen equipment,
porcelain, cutlery, and cars for a broad client base among both Danish
and foreign companies. Odgård sets high standards for himself and
believes that product design is only justified if it improves what
already exists and if it gives the user spontaneous joy.
»I am attracted to virtually all types of assignments, but lighting
has always particularly interested me. My eyes are very
light-sensitive, and especially during winter in Denmark, when the sun
is low, I can experience daylight as very disturbing. During that time
of year, Scandinavians use a lot of artificial light, which is
important to handle correctly,« says Mads Odgård. The collaboration with Louis Poulsen began in the
late 80s and has thus been ongoing for nearly 28 years. Over the years,
Odgård has designed several indoor fixtures, but particularly the street
light Icon, which was launched in 2003 and later expanded into a series,
established his name as one of Louis Poulsen's most significant
designers. Another street light from his hand, MO500, was launched in
2008, and AL600, which was developed specifically for tunnel lighting,
became part of the range in 2010.
Mads Odgård got the idea for "ICON" by studying existing street lights
in the market: »I realized that for most street lights, you can't see where the light
comes from. But when you get closer, you suddenly get blinded.
Therefore, my requirement for Icon was that its light emission should
be identifiable. My next requirement was that the light from the lamp
should correspond to moonlight. Both requirements are met by Icon's
luminous surface, which reveals the geometry of the lamp head and the
downward-directed character of the light even from a distance.«
Alongside outdoor fixtures, Mads Odgård has always worked with and been
passionate about indoor lighting. And here too, the lamps must be simple
but refined. »Many consider me a minimalist designer. I would rather not be
categorized myself, but I acknowledge that I always strive for my
lamps – and other products – to achieve simplicity in expression
despite any complicated functions. I have always been conscious of the
importance of controlling light. Not by dimming it or by using so many
shades that the light is prevented from coming out. Instead, I seek to
achieve logical light emission and honest fixture design. At the same
time, it's just as important in indoor lighting that you can sense
where the light emission comes from, so you're not surprised by
glare.«
»In developing "ABOVE," I challenged myself to create a lamp that
contains everything in one form. The light should be both downward and
upward-directed, and the form itself should connect with the cord,« says Odgård. The efforts have succeeded. With its clear, geometric
cone shape, Above appears graphically precise, and the unconventionally
designed top, which functions as both handle and reflector, gives the
lamp a refreshing and unpretentious appeal. The lamp emits ample
downward light, and the upward light hits the top of the arc form, from
where it's reflected, achieving an elegant and discrete marking of the
entire lamp.
ABOVE is launched in four sizes and in white and black. The shade is
semi-matte on the outer surface, while the inside has slightly more
gloss to ensure the perfect reflection of light. If the pendant is to be
placed above a dining table or similar places, it's easy to mount the
included matte plate up in the shade, which prevents seeing the light
source. The smallest size is suitable for multiple installations
together, for example above kitchen counters. The fabric cord on both
the black and white versions is black – which is the color that cords
should have, according to Odgård.
Above appears resolved and simple, but as known, there are often many
considerations behind apparently simple products. »The new pendant expresses the essence of my mantra:'How simply do you dare to design?'
In the design process, I always seek to remove rather than add, and
this provides many advantages. It enables repetition, for instance,
whose importance I've become aware of in my work with street lamps and
cutlery, among others. It's crucial that the negative space that
occurs between pendants in a row works aesthetically. Above passes
that test, as with its ultra-simple geometry it can hang closely above
tables in restaurants or cafes,« explains Odgård.
Developing lighting fixtures is both time-consuming and complicated, and
Louis Poulsen therefore strives to have long-term collaborations with
designers. Odgård is a good example of how beneficial it is for the
design process when the designer knows the company from within: »I have an in-depth knowledge of Louis Poulsen's foundation and
philosophy and have had many conversations with salespeople,
production and marketing people throughout the years. I know the
company's core competencies and can therefore think about both
materials and production methods at the factory in Vejen parallel with
the earliest design phase. From the outset, I knew that the pendant's
shades should be made in aluminum, hand-pressed and then
powder-coated,« explains Odgård and concludes with a final point: »It is my hope that Above will be received as a simple, understated
lamp that simultaneously radiates poetry. But if people don't notice
it and just register that the lighting is pleasant and sufficient,
that's also fine with me. Functionality is paramount!«
Det var Vesterbros morgenlys, som for alvor fik designeren Mads Odgård
til at opdage, hvordan byen i virkeligheden så ud. I dag er han manden
bag de lamper, som lyser det meste af København op.
Kimen til min interesse for lys blev lagt, da jeg som helt ung arbejdede
som mælkekusk for mejeriet Enigheden. Siden jeg var lille, havde jeg
lidt af damp – eller været utilpasset, som man kaldte det dengang – men
som 20-årig fandt jeg ud af, at jeg kunne styre sygdommen ved at stå op
om natten og arbejde i 6-8 timer indtil midt på formiddagen. Når jeg
havde fri, passede det med, at jeg skulle møde på arkitektskolen, hvor
jeg studerede dengang.
Som mælkekusk stillede jeg op ude i Nordvestkvarteret, hvor Enigheden
lå, ved totiden og læssede lastbilen med mælk. Og så kørte jeg ud til
små kiosker, bagere, skoler og ismejerier.
Jeg mindes ikke , at byen var lyst op af gadelamper dengang. De har
selvfølgelig været der, men de havde ingen betydning for gadebilledet.
Tværtimod var der mange lange, mørke stræk på en gade som Istedgade. De
første hundrede meter fra Hovedbanegården var fuld af neonlys, men så
snart man nåede Gasværksvej, var der mørkt. Det var kun lyset fra
værtshusene, fra portene og fra lejlighederne, som lyste gaden en smule
op.
Når det er mørkt, kan man ikke mærke, om en gade er bred eller smal. Man
kan heller ikke skelne det røde hus fra det gule. Og det er umuligt at
se, hvor stor afstand der er mellem husene. Det hele er bare sort
uhygge. Men når lyset langsomt kommer ind fra øst, sker der noget.
Pludselig bliver alle byens relieffer tydelige.
Det var det tidlige morgenlys fra mælkeruterne, som for alvor åbnede
mine øjne for, hvordan København egentlig ser ud. Mens jeg bevægede mig
fra sted til sted, opdagede jeg, hvor høje bygningerne var, og hvordan
husene adskilte sig fra hinanden. Det var, som om lyset åbnede gaden for
mig. Og det gjorde mig helt lykkelig at opleve det morgen efter morgen.
Dengang tænkte jeg ikke fagligt på lys. Men i virkeligheden havde jeg
nok allerede fået den første spæde ide til de Icon-lamper, som jeg nu
har lavet til København og andre byer i verden.
Målet med den lampe har været, at den skal lyse op uden at blænde –
nøjagtig ligesom månen gør. Det ønske stammer nok helt tilbage fra 1980,
hvor jeg flyttede ind i min første københavnerlejlighed, en etværelses i
stuen på Kalkbrænderivej.
Det var en meget mørk gade dengang, men lige uden for mit vindue hang
der en lampe. Gennem det lagen, som jeg brugte i stedet for et gardin,
lignede det en måne. Jeg tror, at månen har en god psykisk effekt på de
fleste. Der er noget trygt ved den.
It was Vesterbro's morning light that really made designer Mads Odgård
discover how the city actually looked. Today, he is the man behind the
lamps that illuminate most of Copenhagen.
»The seed of my interest in light was planted when I worked as a milk
driver for the dairy company Enigheden as a very young man. Since
childhood, I had suffered from hyperactivity – or maladjustment, as they
called it back then – but at age 20, I discovered that I could control
the condition by getting up at night and working for 6-8 hours until
mid-morning. When I finished work, it coincided with when I needed to be
at the architecture school, where I was studying at the time.
As a milk driver, I would show up in the Northwest district, where
Enigheden was located, at around two o'clock and load the truck with
milk. Then I would drive out to small kiosks, bakeries, schools, and ice
cream shops.
I don't remember the city being lit up by street lamps back then. They
must have been there, of course, but they had no significance for the
streetscape. On the contrary, there were many long, dark stretches on a
street like Istedgade. The first hundred meters from Central Station
were full of neon lights, but as soon as you reached Gasværksvej, it was
dark. It was only the light from the pubs, from the doorways, and from
the apartments that lit up the street a little bit.
When it's dark, you can't tell if a street is wide or narrow. You also
can't distinguish the red house from the yellow one. And it's impossible
to see how much distance there is between the houses. Everything is just
black eeriness. But when the light slowly comes in from the east,
something happens. Suddenly all the city's reliefs become visible.
It was the early morning light from the milk routes that really opened
my eyes to how Copenhagen actually looks. As I moved from place to
place, I discovered how tall the buildings were and how the houses
differed from each other. It was as if the light opened up the street
for me. And it made me completely happy to experience it morning after
morning.
Back then, I didn't think about light professionally. But in reality, I
had probably already gotten the first faint idea for the Icon lamps that
I have now made for Copenhagen and other cities in the world.
The goal with that lamp has been for it to illuminate without glaring –
exactly like the moon does. That desire probably dates all the way back
to 1980, when I moved into my first Copenhagen apartment, a one-room
flat on the ground floor of Kalkbrænderivej.
It was a very dark street back then, but right outside my window hung a
lamp. Through the sheet that I used instead of a curtain, it looked like
a moon. I think the moon has a good psychological effect on most people.
There's something comforting about it.«
