Designed by Jean Prouvé for his revolutionary La Maison Tropicale in London, the Potence Lamp introduces an innovative solution for a suspension wall lamp which is a perfect blend of ingenious engineering and elegant form. It is basically a wall-mounted pivoting structure and a simple lamp, the absolute essentials that compose a wall lamp.

Designed as a pivoting wall lamp for the ‘Maison Tropique’, Potence is regarded as one of Jean Prouvé’s puristic masterpieces. The fascination of this luminaire, which is over two meters long and dimmable, stems from the spareness of its materials and forms.

quote from vitra.com

The light was intended for small rooms where it can save valuable floor space by extending outwards from its base. A simple handle with an Oak knob helps rotate the lamp in a 180-degrees range to light-up a wider area.

The Potence wall lamp displays an incredibly minimalistic approach to lighting, with its use of honest material and pure shapes. It can be used in any type of space or arrangement from a living room above the sofa, to the dining space lighting up the table, or even in an office or a meeting room.

It comes in 2 models, the Potence and the Petite Potence, available in a Deep Black powder-coated finish with the latter, also available in  Japanese Red. Both models have a dimmer which can change the atmosphere of the interior and set the desired mood.

In 2019 Virgil Abloh adapted some of the work of Jean Prouvé and the Eames’ to create his vision of the home of the future where the Potence Lamp was also featured. He modified some of the Vitra archives to put together the exhibition and to reimagine the furniture within the living space of a young adult in 2035.

2035 is not that far into the future, but it still lies ahead. Our world will be a different place by then. And as a design community, we should be thinking about that in the larger sphere of what we’re doing.

quote from dezeen.com