The fixture is designed based on the principle of a reflective three-shade system, which directs the majority of the light downwards. The shades are made of handblown opal three-layer glass, which is glossy on top and sandblasted matte on the underside, giving a soft and uniform light distribution.
Poul Henningsen was born in Copenhagen by the famous Danish writer Agnes Henningsen. He never graduated as an architect, but studied at The Technical School at Frederiksberg, Denmark from 1911-14, and then at Technical College in Copenhagen from 1914-17. He started practicing traditional functionalistic architecture, but over the years his professional interests changed to focus mainly on lighting which is what he is most famous for.