Verner Panton’s futuristic 1959 Topan light design for Louis Poulsen has rarely been out of the limelight in its more than 50 years of existence. Frequently copied and never out of style, the clipped sphere has stood the test of time and is an undisputed design classic. 

But how many people know that early versions of the Topan were divided into two models – the Topan Pendant (Topanpendel) and the Topan Spot (Topanspot), both available in a choice of polished aluminium or light grey? The difference between the two models was in the strength of the bulb they were designed to take, the Topan Pendant using a 75 watt bulb and the Topan Spot a 100 watt. 

Also largely forgotten today is the fact that both Topan models were available either with or without a metal grille to shield the bulb. Of the Topan models available in the mid 1960s, numbers 16570 and 16571 were Topan Pendants without and with grille respectively, while 16572 and 16574 were the Topan Spot equivalents.