An auteur in the truest sense of the word, Arne Jacobsen is known for his cohesive aesthetic and meticulous attention to details.

St. Catherine’s dining hall with comestibles illuminated by AJ Oxford.

St. Catherine’s college is a great example. The famed architect and designer planned the structure and campus down to the last detail: “As a gesamtkunstwerk (complete work of art), Arne Jacobsen designed the building and most of the interior as well, continuing the geometric lines into details such as the cutlery and the AJ Oxford fixtures, that are found in the college’s impressive dining hall.”

The iconic fixture shines for its simple form, modernist aesthetic, and no-nonsense functionality, with perhaps its most memorable characteristic being the contrast between the sculptural shade (loosely reminiscent of a flying saucer, ever the popular mid-century motif) and the geometric stem.

In a show of playfulness, Jacobsen effectively extended the stem’s line directly into the cord, which mimics its shape as it trails away toward an outlet.

The original AJ Oxford was designed as a pin lamp for direct attachment to the college’s dining halls. The 2023 re-edition is a table lamp in two sizes, with an option for pin-mounting the taller size. Users may specify AJ Oxford with or without the top metal shade.

These are the very same options offered when AJ Oxford made its debut: “Just like the original from St. Catherine’s College, AJ Oxford is highly suitable for libraries, hotel rooms, reception areas,
restaurants, meeting rooms, and any space that would profit from excellent atmospheric lighting and timeless design.”

Read more at Louis Poulsen.