io Lamp

Using io Lamp is a performance. The simple, logical and expressive interactions designed into the lamp add an element of theatre to its use. The io Lamp is a visual, tactile and physical experience. This product needs to be touched and handled and rewards the user for doing so with the pleasure that only this type of engagement can bring. The io Lamp’s light-source is an entirely separate component of the base. When the lamp is off, the ring luminaire hangs vertically from the top of the stand. To turn the lamp on, the ring is lifted and balanced horizontally on the stem, placing it on an electrical contact that transfers current. The light output can be dimmed simply by rotating the ring, which can spin freely around the central electrical contact. The io Lamp’s switch was the foundation of the design, from which the form and function of the lamp follow. The switch, while simple to use, requires a certain level of care. This active engagement with the lamp refocuses your attention towards the object and brings your mind into the present moment. The io Lamp’s dramatic form is made possible by today’s LED technology – the impossibly thin ring is a single piece of 6mm aluminium which houses 85 LEDs behind an acrylic diffuser. At its brightest, the ring emits 400 lumens, more than optimal enough for reading. The light can be dimmed to 150 lumens, simply by rotating the ring. Standing at 500 millimetres tall, the light source sits at a comfortable height on most surfaces. The base of the lamp is a combination of marble and aluminium, machined to accommodate the LED driver, thus consolidating mass and enhancing stability.