Birger Dahl

Birger Dahl (1916 – 1998) was a pioneer of contemporary Scandinavian lighting design. As former head of design for the Norwegian electronics firm Sønnico, he designed the award-winning Dokka pendant lamp. This won a a Gold Medal award at the prestigious Triennale di Milano, bringing Norwegian lighting under the design spotlight. From there he forged his signature streamlined style and launched a new vision of contemporary lighting design. Whilst lighting design was what he became known for, he is also considered to be one of Norway’s leading Post-war interior architects. Strict geometric shapes, such as circles, cones and cylinders, were the building blocks of Dahl’s design vocabulary, which he softened with gentle contours. He emphasised the purity of form, highlighting the shape of the object rather than hiding it behind decorative details or layers of unnecessary ornamentation. Qualities like these explain why his work still appears modern and relevant today.