Ceiling lamp model 981

Designed by Carl Axel Acking for Bröderna Malmströms Metallvarufabrik

Sweden, 1950s

Initially made for the restaurant Nybrokällaren in Sweden, these lights show formal qualities that suggest they may originally have been intended for a church setting.

For Carl Axel Acking, the lighting fixture represented a synthesis of function, beauty, and atmosphere. In contemporary writing, his luminaires are frequently recognised for their ability to act as integral architectural elements within a space, rather than as incongruous objects serving only to provide light. This model, 981, exemplifies Acking’s ability to merge a sculptural design with technically refined function. The reflector casts a soft, ambient light, while delicate slivers of light filter through the perforations in the shade. At the same time, concealed and shielded light sources positioned between the reflectors offer the possibility of a well-lit room.

Carl-Axel Acking (1910–2001) belonged to the new generation of Swedish architects who, during the 1930s and 1940s, helped shape what came to be known as Swedish Modern – a style that combined the simplicity of functionalism with softer forms.