Born in Copenhagen to famous actress Agness Henningsen, Poul Henningsen would soon become a pioneer in the world of design. He never graduated as an architect, but he completed his schooling at a technical school in Frederikberg, Denmark (1911-14), later attendeding a technical college in Copenhagen from 1914 to 1917.

For a short time, Henningsen was the lead architect at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen but was forced to flee during the German occupation. He later became one of the driving creative forces in the artist colonies around Sweden. While Henningsen was an avid writer, journalist, author and architect, his main focus was lighting. His memorable collaboration with Louis Poulsen began in 1925 and lasted until his death in 1967. The way Henningsen interpreted light structures, shadow, glare, color reproduction and how it correlates to our need for light is still practiced at Louis Poulsen today. His iconic designs and technical approach to design has truly changed the world of lighting forever.