Gantri 3D prints its lights using plastics made from corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) at its facilities in the Bay Area. The result is a collection of carefully designed lighting fixtures with gentle curves that aim to make luxury-style lighting somewhat affordable. (Prices range from $200 to $500).
Last year, the company introduced a program called Gantri Made, which allows shoppers to customize their lights and gives third-party designers the ability to build their own designs using Gantri’s core pieces.
Courtesy of Gantry
Gantri first partnered with Ammunition in 2020, to develop a range of stylish lamps aimed at highlighting what premium light pieces can look like. You’ve almost certainly seen something that was designed with ammunition flair. The company has designed Beats by Dre headphones, the Square point-of-sale tablets you see in stores everywhere, and numerous other projects, from robotic coffee machines to Jay-Z’s failed e-cigarette cartridges.
This new Gantri collection is a collection of lamps that includes floor lamps, table lamps, and others that are small enough to hold in your hand. (They’re rectangular, with designs inspired by the piers around San Francisco.) All of the lights are wireless and can be removed from their charging ports to operate for what Gantry says is 10 or more hours of battery life. Gantri is also developing an app to control the lights. They will work with Matter, a connectivity standard that aims to make smart home technology from different companies work together, but that compatibility isn’t expected until next year.
Ian Yang, CEO of Gantri, points out that for most of human history, light sources were something people carried with them – torches, candles, lanterns. Keeping lights in fixed locations has become the norm, but he wants these wireless lights to show that there is another way.
“I really think this product will change the way people think about lighting, but they also think about the power of digital fabrication, and about this new plant-based material,” says Yang.
The lights have a dedicated charging port, allowing them to stand upright and face any direction while still receiving a charge. They also require a dedicated charger and can’t be charged via USB-C or another cord in a different room. This may hamper the portability that the lamp promises, as you won’t be able to move it from room to room and plug it into any USB-C cord you have lying around – you’ll have to bring that special cable with you. But Yang says this was a deliberate choice, even though it was much more difficult than finding a place for a USB-C connection. He wanted the lamps to look portable while also providing a place for them to become a staple in the home.
