Louis Weisdorf (born 1939) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts´ School of Architecture in 1954. Weisdorf was active in graphic-, interior- and industrial design, working with Verner Panton, Poul Henningsen and Le Klint.
Louis Weisdorf created the design for his Turbo pendant light in 1965, and in 1967 Lyfa was ready to start production. Consisting of 12 uniform aluminium lamellae spiral-twisted to form a flower-like sphere, the Turbo was partly inspired by Japanese rice-paper lanterns, and came in two sizes – the 35cm diameter Turbo I (available in orange, red, beige or white) and the 60cm Turbo II (in white only).
The Turbo was winning an iF (Die gute Industrieform) product design award in 1973, and remained in production well into the 1970s.
In 1991 a new version of the Turbo was put into production by Lyskjær-Lyfa, without the knowledge or approval of Louis Weisdorf. Renamed Regina and made of steel, the lamp was so heavy it had to be suspended by a wire. Weisdorf took the company to court and sales were halted.
In 2004 the Turbo was reissued again in white versions.