Think about every lamp in your home. They’re tethered, their cords running under rugs and behind furniture. It’s a compromise we’ve silently accepted to have light. Yet Gantri and Ammunition’s latest endeavor, the Helia modular wireless lighting platform, challenges this notion, offering a seamless solution that liberates lamps from their cords.
Helia isn’t just a product; it’s an architecture designed by Ammunition in San Francisco. The platform’s heart is a compact, rechargeable system consisting of a battery, customizable LED modules, a touch-sensitive control board, and a stylish charging puck. This modular nucleus allows countless designs to emerge from a single core. Achille Biteau, Ammunition’s director of industrial design, highlights its potential, saying, “all of a sudden you have that same platform that can be used on a range of designs.” Imagine a myriad of lamps, all distinct yet united.
Designer: Gantri x Ammunition
The practical impact is a collection of elegant lights perched on polished stainless steel pucks, effortlessly lifting off with a gentle gesture. Place them wherever you desire—beside your bed, across the room, or on your patio. No need to unplug or relocate power strips. Just grab it and go. This ease of use feels intuitive, a hallmark of meticulous design.
While cordless lamps aren’t new, they’ve long been seen as subpar, with dim lights and flimsy aesthetics. Helia counters this perception. Ammunition’s award-winning design pedigree—winner of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award and a regular on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list—is evident. Their new collections, Drift, Pier, and Eave, aren’t just lamps; they’re artful statements redefining portable lighting. These lamps stand tall, unapologetic about their wireless nature.
A distinguishing feature of Helia is its scalability. While a single charging puck suffices for homes, Gantri provides a six-port charging tray for larger settings like restaurants or hotels. It paints a modern image of a light-laden tray gracing a dining table—a nod to candlelit services with a contemporary twist.
Ian Yang, Gantri’s founder, describes Helia as a return to light’s “older state,” where it follows you and actively shapes your experience of a space. Historically, light was meant to be carried. Gantri removes the limiting cords of electricity, reviving that ancient freedom.
The broader narrative is that Helia isn’t confined to just these collections. Through Gantri’s manufacturing platform, other designers can utilize its wireless technology to craft their unique creations. This isn’t merely a new product release; it’s the birth of an ecosystem poised to enhance how we integrate lighting into our lives. With this launch, Gantri and Ammunition may have positioned wireless lighting at the forefront of contemporary design.
Source: yankodesign.com