Gubi is the prestigious manufacturer behind some of our most popular designs. Its collection champions the works or design icons as well as modern designers to create a well-rounded portfolio. Its cutting-edge approach to design means Gubi lighting and furniture never falls short of perfection. We delved deep to discover more about the design house and the brains behind it.
Who founded Gubi?
Gubi and Lisbeth Olsen founded Gubi in Copenhagen in 1967. Gubi had always pushed design boundaries to explore new directions and in doing so created his own unique post-modernistic expression.
A plethora of cultural references inspired each of his designs. This includes the rich tradition of craft found in their native Denmark as well as French cinema, Napoleon and a grand piano.
Originally, the eponymously named design house focused on the Olsens’ own furniture designs. However, once the duo’s sons opened a concept store, Gubi evolved and began transforming into the company we know today.
Gubi today
Gubi has evolved over the years, forging an instantly recognisable aesthetic built on simple, arresting shapes. Its cohort of designers includes mid-century icons like Louis Weisdorf and Robert Dudley Best, as well as modern minds like GamFratesi and Oliver Schick.
By introducing modern designers to its team, Gubi is cultivating a new era of design and encouraging it to progress. It also works hard to give overlooked icons of the past the recognition they deserve. As such, each of its designs blurs the lines between the past and the future.
Iconic Gubi lighting
Gubi’s vast collection includes a wide selection of modern lighting. So, we’ve hand-selected some of the most iconic among them to tell you a little more.
Multi-Lite Pendant Light by Louis Weisdorf
Louis Weisdorf’s Multi-Lite Pendant Light is an important design of his as it marks his passion for diversity. It steps away from his typical signature of using multiple repeating elements and embodies ‘golden era’ Danish design. As beautiful as it is functional, its shade is adjustable so you can direct the glow exactly where it’s needed.
Gräshoppa Floor Lamp by Greta M. Grossman
The playful Gräshoppa Floor Lamp is tilted backwards to gives the impression that the lamp is alive and stalking its prey. Following her retirement in the 1960s, Greta M. Grossman fell into relative obscurity. It wasn’t until Gubi reissued some of her most celebrated designs, including the Gräshoppa Floor Lamp that she reclaimed her place in our homes.
Semi Pendant Light by Bonderup & Thorup
The Semi Pendant Light was Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup’s entry for a 1968 competition by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture. Unsurprisingly, its sweeping arc shape and cutting-edge craftsmanship won it first place. In the years that followed, it became a best-selling Danish design with recognition across the world.