Design 
27 October 2022
Design 
127

Abel Sorenson

Floor lamp from the United Nations Delegates' Lounge

Koch & Lowy
Denmark / USA, 1948
aluminum, enameled aluminum, enameled steel 81 h × 40 w × 32 d in (206 × 102 × 81 cm)
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $30,000
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This lamp was used in the Delegates' Lounge of the United Nations building in New York.
provenance: United Nations Delegates' Lounge, New York | Private Collection
literature: Progressive Architecture, April 1953, unpaginated

This work will ship from Wright in Chicago, Illinois.

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Originally designed by a team of architects in the 1950s including Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, the United Nations Delegates' Lounge served as an informal gathering ground for diplomats, journalists and UN staff alike. Overlooking the East River, visitors at the lounge could loosen their ties, shake off the day, and enjoy coffee or cocktails under an oversized map of the globe, conjuring up something from Dr. Strangelove or a scene from North by Northwest. Years before it opened in in 1952, Abel Sorenson was tapped to design the lighting for the space, and working with Brooklyn-based manufacturer Koch & Lowy, crafted the present design, a towering and graceful three-arm floor lamp with tiered leaf-like shades. After undergoing a major renovation initiated in 2009 lead by architect Rem Koolhaas and designer Hella Jongerius, the lounge today is less espionage chic and more Scandinavian comfort. A testament to their timeless design, Sorenson’s lamps are still utilized in the space. 

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