The Soraa MR16 LED lamp is truly revolutionary, outputting the same quality and warmth of light as halogens, while being longer lasting and more efficient.
The lighting company SORAA was co-founded by Professor Shuji Nakamura, one of the fathers of blue LED—the cornerstone of today’s advanced LED technology.
A natural solution
In order for the LED to function optimally, the lamp required a ‘heat sink’, which kept the LED chip cool, meaning it would not overheat and would last longer. This heat sink made up the bulk of the module, and therefore would need to form the primary design feature.
It was important to ensure the heat sink had the largest surface area possible, to help dissipate the heat. However, it also had to appear seamless, from the connector to the lamp. The answer came somewhere quite unexpected; trees. The solution is an extruded aluminum housing that is machine-shaped into a conical form, closely resembling a tree. The ‘branches’ create spaces for air to circulate, cooling the device.
The tree form also echoes and acknowledges the ecological aspects of the technology. LEDs are far better for the environment than incandescent bulbs and other lighting solutions, and they last many times longer before needing to be replaced.
Constrained beauty
Beyond the constraints of the product’s internal technology, the MR16 also needed to work with existing infrastructure and fixtures. This meant the form had to distinguish itself within a confined space. Rather than simply being a piece of innovative technology, the product would add to the interior architecture of a space, it would be both discreet and beautiful. The DNA of the design can be seen throughout SORAA’s product range.
