December 1, 2019

Text: Carlene Olsen

Apure’s Innovative LED Lighting Series Wins Architecture MasterPrize

Apure’s Minus Series adds a warm glow while remaining nearly invisible. Photography courtesy of Apure.

As 2019 comes to a close, the groundbreaking lighting manufacturer Apure has much to celebrate. The company’s Minus LED lighting series—crafted to disappear into a space—won an Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) this year for illumination, making clear revolutionary design is perceptible even when the product is not. The prestigious award celebrates design excellence and innovation across 41 categories in architectural, interior, and landscape design, recognizing outstanding products and materials. 

The AMP prize heralds Apure’s fourth award for its patented MINUS series—the first ever LED downlight with the capacity to recess in less than one inch (<25mm). LEDS in the series are nearly imperceptible, giving way to seamless modern interiors awash in soft light, and available in several forms: The MINUS ONE, which has a round finish; the MINUS TWO, which has a square louver designed by PORSCHE DESIGN STUDIO; and the MINUS THREE, a semi-recessed square finish designed specifically for artwork walls. 

“The day I invented the MINUS it was not clear to me that it has a lot in common with the iPhone, in the sense that you cannot be without it” says Uli Petzold, founder and CEO of Apure. “The MINUS Series is setting new standards in the lighting world, since it’s the only light source which basically disappears, meaning light becomes invisible in the ceiling.” Designers will take comfort in knowing all MINUS LEDs include proprietary precision optics, ensuring light only is delivered where it’s needed in a space.  

The company’s innovative lighting and its installation method also help reduce hefty costs often associated with full-fledged lighting installations. Photography courtesy of Apure. 

The initial idea for the MINUS series stemmed, in part, from Apure’s in-house illumination planning studio, which works closely with clients and teams to create hands-on, intuitive lighting solutions. The planning studio, optimally used in a project’s ideation stages, enables designers to better evaluate lighting fixtures and installation options, easing the process of incorporating this vital element into an interior later on. Ultimately, the MINUS Series provides designers with a clear illumination choice, since the high-performing LEDs are extremely versatile and can be recessed in almost any application.  

“The focus is finally back on the interior design, where it belongs, and is not getting distracted by numerous spot lights in the ceiling, due to its minimal depth of less than 1 inch, which fits virtually into any ceiling without sacrificing height” says Petzold. “As the MINUS was awarded with international design prizes, the series developed into an architectural commodity for sensitive and sophisticated interior designers, architects, and lighting consultants around the globe.”

Each recessed light is held in place with a unique installation bracket, and enables architects and designers to work with their ceiling height, which otherwise may have been comprised for other lighting fixtures’ housings. Photography courtesy of Apure. 

The MINUS series is offered with a 2700K, 3000K, or 4000K CCT with a Color Rendering Index of (CRI) 90+. It is fully dimmable, and proprietary microchip technology boasts a lifetime of 50,000 hours (LM80). Lumen output from source is 1140 and 4 fixtures can be powered by a single power supply. The MINUS is ETL listed, CE listed, Insulation Contract (IC) rated, wet-location rated, airtight, and IP66 rated by request. 

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