Facet and Facet-Pop: How to distinguish between two almost identical puzzles
Quite often, you will see the names Facet and Facet-Pop being used randomly, but they are in fact two different—though very similar—models designed by Louis Weisdorf and produced by Danish lighting company Lyfa.
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Louis Weisdorf, the characteristic Danish architect and designer, created the Facet pendant light in 1963. In 1966, Lyfa assigned production to the Brødrene Berg factory. Although a small lamp (its height being 27 cm or 10.62″, and the diameter being 17 cm or 6.69″), it seemingly consists of 90 single pieces. However, a closer look shows that it actually consists of 18 shades.
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It seemingly consists of 90 single pieces, however, a closer look shows that it actually consists of 18 shades (picture by Palainco).
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Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces have an identical shape. The construction of the lamp is a 3-D puzzle, as each piece fits into the neighbouring pieces and the lamp gets its original shape when all pieces are put together, and a cylinder is formed.
In 1970, Lyfa started production of the Facet-Pop. The elements—or facets—in this lamp had the same colour on both sides. Lyfa produced four different versions of the Facet-Pop: tangerine, crimson, goldenrod and blue; each with three different shades of the same colour. It makes for a lively surface, but there was also an economic reason.
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Another design by Louis Weisdorf: the Konkylie, produced in 2 versions: 'gold' and 'silver' (from the Palainco Archive).
“If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would design a different lamp.”
The original Facet was relatively expensive to produce, partly because it had different colouring on the outside and the inside. Its colour schemes harmonised with a different Weisdorf design, the Konkylie. Both lamps were originally produced in 2 versions: one was golden on the outside with two shades of orange on the inside; the other was silver on the outside and had two shades of blue inside.
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So, if you like to be sure, just look at the outside and the inside of the lamp. If the colours of the elements are different, it is the initial production of Facet, otherwise it is the simplified, second version, called the Facet-Pop. Initially Louis Weisdorf had 2 different facets in mind, but later on, the design became more one-dimensional.
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After reading you should be able to see that this is the Facet...
... and that this is the Facet-Pop (both pictures by Palainco).
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Unless otherwise stated, all material is sourced and/or generated internally. All rights reserved.
- Text: Palainco, Koos Logger & Ingrid Stadler.
- Image sources: Palainco & the Palainco Archive.
The article and its contents may not be copied or reproduced in any part or form without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.
Published on: 2 August 2016