Composed of a metal structure, 4 buttons and a Tyvek casing, the lamp diffuses light across a broad surface: the source seems to emanate not from a single point but from the entire illuminated area. It fills the space with a soft, ambient glow like a window, a glass wall, or sunlight itself, creating a sensation that is both enveloping and atmospheric, spreading gently and evenly throughout the space. "Maap is a lamp that unites fundamental concepts, yet its reality is both radically simple and inherently complex", says Erwan Bouroullec. "Despite its bold presence, it remains extremely lightweight. Maap is built around an ultralight Tyvek envelope—paper-like in appearance, but tear-resistant in nature.
In creating this lamp, I drew from two enduring obsessions: geometry and natural structures. Maap embodies precise geometry, which is then confronted with chaos during its installation on the wall. The Tyvek envelope must be crumpled to form a microstructure that brings it to life and provides stability.
Maap could also be called Maak, as it is rooted in a simple gesture: ManMade. It is designed to be shaped through our innate inclination to create—our impulse to form objects in response to context. It embraces our attraction to free forms, which, in turn, can evoke endless interpretations.
Maap is the realization of a long-held desire to create expansive light sources that diffuse illumination across a broad surface. This results in a subtle, immersive glow that surrounds you, spreading softly and evenly.
Maap was designed over an extended period—its wild nature resisted traditional materials and even defied conventional technical drawings. I’ve long been fascinated by ultra-thin materials; to me, the ability of a simple sheet to become self-stabilizing is an extraordinary feat. Tyvek, with its strength and resilience, became the perfect choice—allowing the lamp to endure and evolve over time.
Then came the Dots—elements that subtly fix the envelope in place, almost like a freeze, but without a definitive end. If released, the dots would allow for endless reshaping.
Throughout the entire design journey, lightness remained a guiding principle, as it is in much of my work—because resources must be used thoughtfully."
Maap is composed of a light element equipped with four LED bulbs and a cross-shaped iron support that magnetically secures the lamp body – an unusual casing made of Tyvek. This casing is available in four sizes (Wall 1, Wall 2, Wall 3, and Wall 4), depending on the number of light modules mounted on the wall. At full extension, Maap can cover up to 4 metres in width, while its height remains constant at 160 cm. When crumpled, Tyvek takes on unique, organic forms, giving users complete creative freedom to shape and configure its appearance.
“Paper”, adds Bouroullec, “was the starting point, but it proved too soft, too fragile. Tyvek, with its strength and resilience, became the perfect choice, allowing the lamp to endure and evolve over time.”
The surface of this non-woven material features a cross-striped pattern in yellow, red, blue, and green, overlaid with either a grid or additional stripes. This pattern reflects the juxtaposition of order and chaos at the heart of the lamp’s concept. “Printing on the casing”, continues Bouroullec, “was always in sight, not only to confront geometry with chaos but also to invite instinct and creativity into the making process, breaking away from rigid rules and mechanical precision.”
An alchemical wall installation
The Tyvek casing is attached to the metal frame, or ‘skeleton’, using large magnetic buttons (Dots), aligned with four magnetic points at each light source. Beyond their functional role, these buttons become a further expressive detail, as the designer explains: "With a kind of magic, these Dots subtly fix the casing in place and allow for endless reshaping. Maap could also be called Maak, as it is rooted in a simple gesture: ManMade. The installation responds to our innate inclination to create and shape objects in response to their context. It embraces our attraction to free forms, which can evoke countless interpretations. Maap resembles a map, a visualised tide landscape, a vector field, or even an extreme close-up of cellular structures. It is the outcome of making: partially uncontrolled, instinctive, and alive".Flos on ARCHIPRODUCTS
