Award-winning designer Birger Dahl (1916 – 1998) was a pioneer of contemporary Scandinavian lighting. e mid-century years were a formative period of his work, when he forged his signature streamlined style and launched a new vision of lighting design. Dahl’s career had actually begun the previous decade, when he became head of design at Norwegian electronics rm Sønnico and created the award-winning Dokka pendant lamp. Dokka was the rst lamp in Norway to receive a Golden Medal award at the prestigious Triennale di Milano, which brought Norwegian lighting under the international spotlight.
While acclaimed for his lighting designs, Dahl 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 so ened 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 ornamentation. Sensibilities like these explain why his work still appears modern today, and why lighting designs such as Dokka and Birdy are so compatible with the interiors of our time.
This year, Northern Lighting launches a new version of Birdy to commemorate the centenary of Dahl’s birth in 1916. The new version is still the same stylish light source for tables, sideboards and desks, but will be produced in a numbered series.
Made with the same shape and proportions as the original version, the shade, base and counterweight are coated in matt- nish Marsala developed by Pantone. Marsala is a blend of earthy, terracotta tones and subtle, wine-coloured tints, Birdy is a stylish addition to any interior.
