Philharmonie Essen subway station

The new lighting of the Philharmonie subway station in Essen

The Philharmonie subway station was, at its opening in 1967, the first of its kind not only in Essen but in all of North Rhine-Westphalia – and it now shines anew: barrier-free, up to current safety standards, and with fresh lighting. This lighting comes from WE-EF, is highly efficient thanks to LED technology, and has been perfectly adapted to the structural conditions through customized modifications of standard luminaires.

The fact that something has changed at the Philharmonie subway station is already visible above ground: through the two striking cubes made of tinted glass on either side of Huyssenallee, which provide barrier-free access to the station via elevator. The four stairways have also been redesigned; they received a natural stone cladding and new lighting with WE-EF PFL540 LED pole luminaires. The poles are integrated into the metal railings surrounding the entrances. With asymmetrical lateral light distribution, the luminaires highlight the stairways as islands of light within their surroundings. The uniform illumination of the stairs ensures optimal visibility and a sense of security when entering the station.

Appealing technical aesthetics

An underground concourse level provides access to the two platforms for the subway and tram. During the renovation, ceiling panels were removed here for fire safety reasons, and lights and cables are now mounted directly onto the concrete structure: an unusual but appealing technical aesthetic. The planners chose WE-EF DAC220 LED surface-mounted ceiling luminaires with a symmetrical wide-beam characteristic. The timeless cylindrical shape of these robust luminaires creates a pleasant visual calm within the complex ceiling design. The side cable entry is a custom modification of the standard luminaires. For the sloped concrete surfaces directly above the stairways, WE-EF provided a custom solution – in the form of precisely angled mounting adapters, cut at 28° to fit exactly.

Custom mounting solutions

The escalators to the platforms were enclosed with a glass wall as part of fire safety measures. In this situation, WE-EF was once again able to demonstrate its flexibility and expertise in providing project-specific solutions: The circular CFS540 LED luminaires, originally designed for streets and squares, are here suspended from the ceiling above the escalators using a special mounting flange and pendant rods, rather than being mounted on standing poles. Another custom feature: Gobo projections as markings on the platforms, created with powerful FLC230 LED projectors.

Safety and efficiency are key.

WE-EF also met specific requests from Ruhrbahn GmbH, the client, regarding the lighting technology and the equipment used. Throughout, LED modules with a cool white light color of 5000 K were installed. This creates a seamless transition for passengers from daylight to the underground, providing a fresh and invigorating atmosphere. The higher light output and the greater subjective brightness of this light color support the efficiency goals of the operators. DALI control gear with emergency lighting functionality also allows the WE-EF luminaires to quickly switch to battery power via reserve circuits, such as in the event of a power failure – because safety is, of course, a top priority in transportation infrastructure like subway stations.

Credits

Project: Philharmonie Subway Station, Essen Client: Ruhrbahn GmbH, Essen Completion: 2021 Photos: Frieder Blickle for WE-EF