Bochum railway museum tunnel entrance showing dramatically leaning purple WE-EF ZFT440 LED luminaire and orange-blue pole in playful human-like postures along barrier-free access ramp, historic brick railway depot buildings with coal gas holder visible above greenery, light sculptures by architect Peter Brdenk creating cheerful communicating characters that transform formerly uneasy 114-meter underpass into attractive safe passage connecting Dahlhausen with Ruhr river cycle paths, completed 2020 for City of Bochum

Pedestrian tunnel at the railway museum, Bochum, Germany

Enlivened with light and humour

A 114-metre-long pedestrian tunnel that is only 2.35 metres high in places can feel a bit scary. But thanks to good planning, new lighting and a touch of humour the underpass under the tracks of the Bochum railway museum has been transformed into an attractive connecting passage that pedestrians and cyclists enjoy using.

Barrier-free access ramp to Bochum railway museum tunnel showing dramatically curved red WE-EF ZFT440 LED luminaire seeming to walk or lean in human-like movement, cyclist riding toward Ruhr river meadows along popular cycle path connecting Bochum city center with Dahlhausen district, 2020 renovation by City of Bochum transforming formerly uneasy 2.35-meter-high passage into attractive safe thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists using playful light sculptures concept

The Bochum district of Dahlhausen is situated in the Ruhr valley and is separated from the river by railway tracks which also bring visitors to the popular Bochum railway museum. There is a tunnel for pedestrians under the tracks of the former railway depot that is now a museum. It connects Dahlhausen and Bochum city centre with the meadows and cycle paths along the Ruhr. The tunnel that is 114 m long, almost 3 metres wide and just 2.35 m high in places is therefore used by many people – pedestrians and cyclists alike. The construction bears signs of its history spanning more than a hundred years. You can how parts of the tunnel have been modified, sometimes with a low flat ceiling, sometimes as a round arched vault. In between there are lightwells of different lengths. The stone walls have a patina.

Close-up of individually colored WE-EF ZFT440 LED luminaire poles in green, blue, and purple against historic stone tunnel walls with century-old patina, each luminaire unique with customized posture—sitting, bent, or straight—creating impression of colorful light figures occupying space and communicating, three blue and two green color-filtered luminaires providing individual accents complementing 18 standard 4000K units, demonstrating WE-EF flexibility in producing customized outdoor luminaires for harsh industrial Ruhr valley environment

Bochum railway museum tunnel entrance showing dramatically bent orange WE-EF ZFT440 LED street luminaire in playful human-like posture designed by architect and lighting designer Peter Brdenk, illuminating both surrounding area and speech bubbles on brick wall containing information about surroundings, historic railway depot brick buildings visible behind, demonstrating quirky concept transforming formerly scary underpass into cheerful original thoroughfare giving users feeling of safety while preserving tunnel's mysterious adventurous character

Many people used to feel a bit uneasy using the tunnel between Dr.-C.-Otto-Str. and the banks of the Ruhr, especially after dark. But this is no longer the case following the renovation of the tunnel which has given it barrier-free access ramps and a new lighting design. Architect and lighting designer Peter Brdenk developed a concept for the harsh industrial environment that also has a quirky aspect with pole luminaires imitating human postures and movements. The luminaires almost seem to walk through the tunnel themselves and to communicate. Sometimes sitting, sometimes bent, sometimes conventionally straight – each luminaire is unique and boasts an individually coloured pole. 18 WE-EF street and area lighting luminaires from the ZFT440 LED family, with symmetric [C60] beam in the colour temperature 4000 K, form the basis for these light sculptures. They ensure functional and reliable lighting with individual coloured accents provided by three blue and two green filtered luminaires.

IBochum railway museum pedestrian tunnel interior showing 114-meter-long 100+ year-old underpass with historic stone walls bearing patina, arched vault transitioning to low flat ceiling sections, individually colored purple pole with WE-EF ZFT440 LED luminaire (symmetric C60 beam, 4000K) bent in quirky human-like posture, 26 WE-EF DLO239 LED wall luminaires providing pleasant illuminances, silhouetted walker demonstrating transformed safe attractive passage connecting Dahlhausen district with Ruhr river meadows and cycle pathsmage

At each entrance to the tunnel the individual light poles are slightly bent and illuminate both the area around them plus speech bubbles on the wall containing information on the surroundings. In the tunnel itself 26 DLO239 LED wall luminaires from WE-EF are installed and provide pleasant illuminances. In the lightwells the ZFT400 luminaires almost seem to meet and communicate. "Colourful light figures" occupy the space and illuminate it: cheerful and original, perhaps a little disconcerting, but with a clear mission to bring light into the dark. It is not least thanks to WE-EF's expertise and flexibility in the production of customised outdoor luminaires that a thoroughfare has been created giving a wide range of users a feeling of safety at all times, yet without completely abandoning the tunnel's somewhat mysterious, morbid and adventurous character.

Credits

Completion: 2020 Principal: City of Bochum Light planning: Peter Brdenk, Essen Photos: Frieder Blickle for WE-EF

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