Friis & Moltke’s legendary L3 wall light revived

Friis & Moltke’s legendary L3 wall light revived

Lampas and Friis & Moltke Design are now relaunching the L3 wall light. It’s a revival of one of the most distinctive lights from the 1970s collaboration between Friis & Moltke and Lampas.

The new ELMAR L3 has been named after Elmar Moltke. It will be relaunched in two sizes, one being the original, with a Ø 160 mm cylinder and a height of 285 mm.

“L3 is the essence of a Lampas light. It’s really just a large tube, but its size and simplicity give it weight and character that make a statement. This is very characteristic of the lights that Friis & Moltke designed in the early years, and that Lampas began manufacturing in 1971,” says Mikkel Bahr, Head of Design at Friis & Moltke Design.

Danish design light from the 1960’s updated

The ELMAR L3 includes updated lighting technology and has been redesigned with a focus on use and sustainability. Mikkel Bahr has been responsible for the redesign process.

“It was important that the design of the original light be reproduced as far as possible. Yet at the same time, we didn’t want to create an identical clone of a lamp from over 50 years ago. We’ve replaced steel with aluminium to improve recyclability, but also to make the light even sturdier. The thickness of the shade has been increased from 1.25 mm to 3 mm. This gives the cylinder a thicker edge and helps to give the light a sense of exclusivity,” says Mikkel.

The light is now enclosed at the top: both for protection outdoors and to make it more light-efficient, with downward illumination to prevent light pollution in the night sky.

To expand the range of uses for this solid wall light, a version with a diameter of Ø 120 mm and a height of 215 mm has been introduced.

Friis & Moltke’s L3 wall light makes a return

Mikkel comments that the relaunch of L3 is long awaited.

“We are seeing a surge of renewed interest in Friis & Moltke’s architecture and designs. We have been contacted by people wanting to know where they can buy this light, among other items. The design has a strong character, and that can be something very special,” he says.

Søren Lauritsen, Lighting Manager at Lampas, is also delighted with the relaunch of this classic Lampas light.

“We have updated and relaunched several Friis & Moltke lights over the past few years, and we have been very much looking forward to reintroducing the L3 back into the range. It’s a striking light that can enhance architecture and interior design on any scale,” he says.

Take a closer look at the ELMAR L3 here. Contact Lampas here to order the light.

The collaboration between Friis & Moltke Design and Lampas began in 1971 and resulted in a number of striking light designs such as LIBER L5U, LIBER L6 and the LIBER L17 mailbox, known to many as the Lampas mailbox. The collaboration provided Friis & Moltke with lighting designs for their brutalist-style building projects and made Lampas one of Denmark’s most innovative and successful lighting manufacturers.