Tunnelma 2.0

THE PROJECT

Behind the distinction.

✓ Verified winner · DESIGNSKILLAWARDS-846D22720286A5BE

TUNNELMA 2.0 rethinks the recessed spotlight as a long-life lighting platform rather than a disposable product. The original TUNNELMA series grew from hands-on experience in building homes and installing luminaires. It combined high light quality, practical installation, modular construction and future maintenance. Version 2.0 keeps these values but extends them beyond one product family: the light engine is now universal, shallower, cooler and optically adaptable.

The defining innovation is compatibility. TUNNELMA 2.0 fits all MR16/GU10 frames currently on the market, as well as TUNNELMA frame models introduced up to 15 years ago. Existing frames can remain in the ceiling when the lighting is upgraded. Instead of removing an entire downlight, the user changes only the module. This preserves the visible design, reduces installation work and keeps durable components in use, resulting in less material consumption and less waste. A familiar frame becomes a long-term interface rather than a product with an expiry date.

Where the original TUNNELMA brief set a maximum luminaire height of 55 mm, the new module is only 40 mm high. This makes high-quality recessed lighting possible in shallow ceiling voids and demanding renovation projects where space is limited. The module’s distinctive L-shaped form gives it a recognisable technical identity within this exceptionally low profile. Thermal performance has also advanced: its operating temperature has been reduced from 80°C to 50°C, a major improvement for a compact, high-performance LED module.

Optical flexibility is included with the product, not fixed at purchase. Every package contains interchangeable 25° and 45° lenses plus a matte diffuser. The narrow beam supports precise accent lighting, the wider beam creates more general illumination, and the diffuser softens the light and reduces glare. A single module can therefore respond to changing interiors, artworks, tasks and atmospheres without replacing the luminaire.

At the centre remains the light quality that defined TUNNELMA: full-spectrum CRI97 colour rendering and tunable white light across 2600–6200 K. Materials, skin tones, art and furnishings are shown naturally, while the atmosphere can shift from warm and intimate to cool and energising according to the time of day or use of the space.

By combining universal compatibility, legacy-frame reuse, interchangeable optics, a 40 mm profile, lower heat and exceptional tunable light, TUNNELMA 2.0 turns a small technical component into a circular design strategy. Its innovation lies not only in what has been added, but in what no longer needs to be discarded.

TUNNELMA 2.0 can be used as individual light with 5 pre-selcted temperatures from light or connected to homeautomations (Ie. Zigbee, DALI) for free temperature tuning.

It extends the useful life of installed components and creates a practical bridge from older lighting infrastructure to contemporary, high-quality illumination.