The Royal Library, Copenhagen
Following a renovation completed in 2021 by Danish architects Arkitema, The Old Reading Hall, as the space is now known, has been transformed into the calm, conducive space for study that was originally intended.
A key component in that transformation has been the introduction of individual task lighting, the Pale Rose version of Louis Poulsen's classic AJ Table luminaire. 'The lamps are quite well known – they are beautiful and classic,' says Wendelboe.
'They have worked with Louis Poulsen before, and they are reliable and competent.' The room is light, and flooded with natural light in summer so that a degree of window screening is needed. Individual lamps were therefore a practical solution to controlling light levels. 'Danes like “hygge” and small lights at tables provide that feeling instead of flooding the whole room with artificial light,' says Wendelboe.
The decision to integrate the task lights – a total of 72 lamps – was taken at an early stage. The lamps were specially adapted and incorporated into the study tables, redesigned from the originals by Arkitema and constructed by WO Interior. WO carpenters worked closely with Arkitema, creating a recess in the table that corresponded to the five per cent inclination of the original table lamp. The switch is placed just beside the lamp for easy individual control. This attention to detail was part of the overall ambition to respect the original building where possible – removing the intrusive mezzanine, retaining the original wooden shelves – while creating a modern study environment.