The folded form of a protective armor used by the Maasai people of Tanzania and Kenya inspired the design of Shield, a collection of ethereal luminaires created by Kutarq Studio—the Valencia, Spain–based atelier of Spanish architect and product designer Jordi López Aguiló—and produced by German lighting manufacturer Millelumen.
Courtesy Millelumen
Reduced to their most essential components—a semi-translucent acrylic shade and a bow-like aluminum framework that houses a linear LED light source—the fixtures evoke sophistication through their simplicity and shape. In lieu of the vibrant colors and geometric patterns found on the animal-hide Maasai shields belonging to elders who have proven their status as warriors and huntsmen, Kutarq Studio opted to finish the series in a monochromatic white.
Courtesy Millelumen
Shield can be mounted to walls and ceilings, suspended as a pendant, or attached to a stand as a floor lamp. The luminaires’ acrylic diffuser is bent into a convex form and offered in round, eye-shaped, and oval. Each of the three options—available in all fixture configurations—attach to the aluminum frame via two small cutouts on opposite ends of the diffuser’s 26-inch-wide diameter.
Courtesy Millelumen
Shield comes with a color-rendering index of 90-plus and in 2700K, 3000K, and 4000K color temperatures. It uses a TRIAC dimmer.
This article is part of a weekly series spotlighting the latest in innovative products and materials. Read more of ARCHITECT’s Objects of the Moment here.