Paul-Heyse-Underpass

Munich, Germany

Photo © Christoph Mittermüller | DAY & LIGHT

Bridges + Traffic Construction

Lighting Designers: DAY & LIGHT LIGHTING DESIGN

Location: Paul-Heyse-Straße, Munich, Germany
Year: 2022
Client: Landeshauptstadt München
Team: Stefan Vetter, Markus Tuppen, Frank Vetter
Architects: Lang Hugger Rampp, Munich
Structural Engineers: SSF Engineers, Munich
Electrical Consulting: Rücker + Schindele Beratende Ingenieure GmbH

For over a century, the Paul-Heyse subway crossed the 26 tracks of Munich's main railway station. According to Deutsche Bahn, the bridge structure, which was manufactured by the royal Bavarian court locksmith Eisenwerk München AG (originally Kiessling - C. Moradelli), fulfilled its requirements well after the end of this century. With increasing traffic, the passageway was an imposition for all cyclists and pedestrians who were forced to cross the 210m long tube.

In 2016, we were finally commissioned by the City of Munich to improve the atmosphere in the subway, in particular through effect lighting.

Since light is always a holistic and cross-trade issue for us, we finally applied lighting and acoustic measures in teamwork with the electrical planners, architects and civil engineers - without massive interventions on the structure.

After the completion of the Arnulfpark Bridge "next door", the Paul-Heyse subway is now the second crossing of the Munich railway tracks that we were allowed to illuminate.