VP Globe Pendant Ø50

Conceived by Verner Panton in 1969, the VP Globe is one of his most iconic lights — a transparent acrylic sphere holding internal reflectors on steel chains. This Ø50 cm version uses aluminium reflectors with the signature red and blue accents, its larger scale making a bold statement in entryways or lounge corners.

Panton belonged to the generation of Danish designers who stopped thinking of a lamp as a mere fitting and began treating it as room-scale sculpture, and the VP Globe condenses that conviction into a single object. Rather than hiding the mechanics, Panton suspends the polished aluminium reflectors visibly inside the transparent sphere, turning the optical system itself into the ornament. Those reflectors do real work: the curved discs with their red and blue lacquered accents catch the light of the bulb and redistribute it as a soft, even glow, so the globe reads as a small luminous planet rather than a point of glare. At Ø50 cm — the largest of the three sizes — this orbital quality is at its most persuasive, with enough internal depth for the layered reflectors to be appreciated from across the room. Verpan, the Danish manufacturer entrusted with Panton's lighting portfolio, continues to produce the VP Globe true to the original design, so what hangs in your hallway is the same composition that made the lamp famous.

Scale is the whole reason to choose the Ø50 over its smaller siblings, so give it room to perform: a stairwell or entry with generous ceiling height, the corner of a lounge, or centred above a large dining or coffee table. It can still work in a compact urban apartment — the transparent shell keeps its visual weight low even at this diameter — but let it be the single hero of the room and keep the supporting light low and small. A pair of table lamps adds warmth at eye level, and a cordless piece from our guide to the best portable designer lamps can move wherever the evening does. If you are still comparing statement pieces, the full range of pendant lamps puts every silhouette side by side.

Light source: E27 (E26 compatible), 1 bulb, max 60 W. IP20, indoor. Bulb not included — we recommend an E27 LED (8–10 W, 1055 lm), 2700–3000 K.