Panthella Originals at Rockwell: Where Danish Light Meets a Retro Aisle

Designer Verner Panton, born in 1926, built his career on a fearless approach to color, form, and atmosphere. At a time when Danish design was often associated with restraint, natural materials, and functional elegance, he pushed interiors toward something more theatrical. His spaces embraced saturated hues and futuristic curves, as well as a sense of total environment that was meant to shape the room’s atmosphere.

To mark what would have been Panton’s 100th year, Danish lighting house Louis Poulsen has reissued his iconic lighting fixture Panthella in its original 1971 colorways—red, orange, yellow, blue-grey, and brown—complete with the sleek chrome stand Panton specified. The collection landed in Manila through a retro, grocery-inspired pop-up, “Aisle of Light,” at Power Plant Mall that’s playful and, frankly, a little unexpected. While the grocery aisle is rarely the first place one expects to encounter a design classic, the pop-up begs to differ.

For the installation, expect to see the familiar language of the supermarket reimagined through the lens of 1970s design. Shelves, packaging cues, and color-coded refreshments become part of an immersive tribute to one of lighting’s most recognizable fixtures.

The Panthella captured that philosophy when it was first introduced in 1971. “Panthella is unique for many reasons, but especially so in how both shade and trumpet-shaped base serve as reflectors, a true testament to Verner Panton’s innovative mind,” notes Monique Faber, Chief Design Officer at Louis Poulsen. Its design allows both the shade and base to function as reflectors, creating the soft, ambient glow that helped make the piece an icon.

Each piece also features the sleek chrome stand, staying faithful to Panton’s 1971 vision. In the pop-up, the original colors become the organizing principle for the entire experience.

Aisle of Light is on view at focus_, R3 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell until June 30, 2026. Visitors may also explore Louis Poulsen through its Manila showroom on the 10th Floor of Twenty-Four Seven McKinley in Bonifacio Global City.